It takes Two to get Tangled
by Magi Magi Magician Gal
Summary: FINISHED! Ryou has been grounded. Permanently. Locked up in a 70 ft tall tower, this young man with extremely long silver hair, whose only friend is a golden Kuriboh, longs to see the outside world. When a wild thief climbs his tower, Ryou knows that it's his only chance for him to see the floating lights he's dreamed about his whole life.
1. Chapter 1: A Drop of Sun and Moon

**MMMG:** I'm here with a new story!

**Bakura:** What is it _this_ time?

**MMMG:** One where you and Ryou are the main characters.

**Bakura:** I'm in!

**Ryou:** No surprise there. What's the story?

**MMMG:** As requested by spazbat90 last April, and that's who this story is dedicated to, we are doing Disney's 'Tangled'!

**Malik:** You mean that one about the girl who has 70 ft long blond hair who is a missing princess?

**MMMG:** That's the one!

**Marik:** But Ryou has white hair! I don't know about the rest of you, buy I can't picture him with _golden_ hair.

**MMMG:** I've taken care of it.

**Bakura:** How?

**MMMG:**You have to read the story to find out. Now someone do the disclaimer so we can get rolling!

**Ryou:** MMMG does not own Yugioh, Disney's 'Tangled', or Disney's 'Tangled Junior Novelization'. Enjoy the story!

* * *

**Shippings**

Main

Tendershipping/Gemshipping (Ryou x Yami Bakura/Ryou x Thief King Bakura [Akefia])

Side

Blindshipping (Pharaoh Atem x Yugi)

Revertshipping (High Priest Seth x Joey)

Bronzeshipping (Malik x Yami Marik)

* * *

Chapter 1: A Drop of Sun and Moon

* * *

Once upon a time, a single drop of sunlight and a single drop of moonlight fell from the heavens onto an island that was nearly uninhabited. And from those small drops grew a couple of magical flowers.

The flower that grew from the drop from the sun was a golden lily, which shimmered and shone brightest when the sun was out. The flower that fell from the drop from the moon grew into a silver lily, which danced and shined when the moon glowed by night.

Both flowers had the ability to heal the sick, the frail, and the injured. When they were used together, the person using them would regain their health and youth for two to three weeks at a time, compared to using only one and having to come back every few days.

And such is what happened when an old man with grey hair that had once been silver limped along. He was softly singing the songs his wife had taught him before she had died at a young age, shortly after their marriage.

A golden and silver glow caught his attention. Limping over, Pegasus discovered the two flowers growing close together. How lovely they would look on his wife's tombstone. As he moved to pick them, and still singing, he stopped.

His brittle voice had become strong and clear, sounding like it had in his youth. His old bones didn't ache anymore and he could stand up straight instead of hunched over. He looked to his shriveled hand to discover it was smooth and flawless.

Suddenly, he was young again. Pegasus' eyes widen in selfish delight, and he knew what he would do. He didn't want to die without finding someone to carry on his name, so he would use keep the flowers there so he could keep young until that time came.

* * *

Centuries passed, and a small but happy kingdom flourished on another island nearby. The beautiful kingdom was surrounded by sparkling blue water, its gentle waves dappled by sunlit skies, and the island itself was rich in good fortune and in easy harmony among its people.

Though the people of the kingdom had heard the legend of the Gold and Silver Flowers, no one had ever seen them. It was the stuff of stories told around fires on cold winter nights.

The truth was, they had never really _needed_ the flowers.

The little kingdom was ruled by a beloved king and queen. The king had stalk white hair, dark purple eyes, and was young and youthful, despite his natural appearance. His wife had long black hair that was tipped purple and chocolate brown eyes. The monarchs were well loved by the people. And to increase their joy, the queen was about to have a baby. She was extremely heavy with child, and many speculated she carried more than one babe.

But all too soon, the kingdom's happiness came to an abrupt end. The queen was sick, gravely ill. The doctors, the physicians, and even the magicians had tried everything they could, but there seemed to be nothing that could help her. She was running out of time, and that's when people start to look for a miracle.

Or in this case, a couple of magic flowers.

Willing to try anything to save her, the people launched a search throughout the kingdom and all the surrounding lands. The combed the hills and fields, mountains and valleys. They even crossed the clear blue water to explore the stark and rocky terrain on the opposite shore.

* * *

With all the years that had passed, Pegasus had long forgotten about producing an heir. Now, he just didn't want to die. So he hoarded the gifts from the heavens, and kept them to himself so no one else profited from the blooms. He sang to them once a week, just to keep him steady as he kept to himself.

As he finished the song and breathed a sigh of relief at the calming aches in his body, Pegasus heard voices. Looking around briefly, he spotted a group of strangers from one of the islands over, searching every inch of the land.

'_My flowers!_' Pegasus thought as they drew closer, and he placed the coverings he had made, to keep the blooms concealed from everyone else, over them. '_They mustn't find them. They belong to me!_'

Turning away and picking up his lantern, Pegasus failed to notice the swinging of his green light had knocked the covering off of the golden flower. Slipping into the trees, he watched the rocky ledge that hosted the blossoms as some soldiers drew close.

"We found it!" one of the guards called when he spotted a golden flower. "We found the golden flower!"

"And here's the other!" a second exclaimed, having tripped over the covering of the silver flower in his rush to get to the gold one.

Pegasus watched, horrified, as the guards uprooted both of the entire plants and carried them off. In a panic, he followed the men back to the castle, hoping he could steal the flowers back before something happened to them.

But it was too late for that. The plants had been planted in the royal gardens and the flowers cut from their steams. Each was made into an individual potion for the ailing queen, who drank them both without complaint.

The magic of the gold and silver flowers healed the queen. The king and all the people in the land rejoiced! Soon afterward, the queen gave birth to two healthy baby boys, princes, and fraternal twins.

One had golden hair and his father's purple eye color. Yugi. And the other had silver hair and his mother's chocolate brown eyes. Ryou.

Both boys cooed and giggled at the mobiles above their cribs before their parents caught their attention. The queen picked up Ryou, and the king picked up Yugi. Taking them outside, and in the presence of the entire kingdom, they launched a flying lantern into the sky to celebrate the boy's births.

For that one moment, everything was perfect.

And then that moment ended.

Late that night, as the kingdom slept, a vengeful Pegasus crept into the royal nursery and approached the cradles. One of the beds was empty; Yugi had an upset stomach and was with the nursemaid, leaving Ryou all alone.

Pegasus drew out a dagger and prepared to kill the child, but stopped. The boy's silver hair looked so much like the silver moon flower. Compelled, he began to stroke the baby's hair, and sang the song he had sung to the flowers so many years ever so softly.

Unexpectedly, Ryou's hair began to glow! Pegasus watched in shock, then delight, as his withered hand became young again. The healing power of the Silver Flower lived on in the prince's sliver hair!

Taking his dagger, Pegasus cut a piece of the prince's hair and gazed at it as it lay in his hand. Now he could take it with him and use it any time he wanted. And if he could find the prince with the golden hair…

But that wasn't to be. Pegasus watched in horror as the hair in his hand turned stalk white, the same white as the king's hair, while his hand wrinkled and lost its youth. He looked back to the prince's neck. There was a short white tuff where the hair had been cut. Anger built up in Pegasus as he realized that the magic only work if he sang the song while stroking the hair on the prince's head!

There was only one thing left to do. Pegasus swiftly picked the boy up from his cradle and glanced around. He didn't see the twin, but the healing magic of even _one_ flower was better than none.

In his arms, Ryou started to cry. Pegasus cursed and quickly ran to the balcony. The door opened, and the king and queen ran inside, horrified at what they saw. Pegasus sneered at them as he leapt off the balcony, and just like that… gone.

That same night, the nursemaid who was taking care of Yugi disappeared as well, taking the infant with her.

Both of the prince's, missing.

The kingdom searched and searched, but they could not find their princes'.

Yugi had been taken to a distant foreign country by the nursemaid, to be sold as a slave as soon as he was old enough.

Ryou was hidden away in a forest, in a boxed-in valley, inside a 70 ft. tall tower, where Pegasus raised the boy as his son. Pegasus was the only person Ryou remembered, the man having been there for his first steps, brought food, and sang lullabies when he was scared.

When he was four years old Ryou got up the courage to ask. Pegasus had just finished brushing his hair, which was not cut and was not down to his hips, while Ryou himself had sung a special song that made his hair glow and 'Father' feel better.

"Why can't I go outside?" Ryou asked.

Ryou had watch Pegasus come and go to gather herb and vegetables for them to eat. On some occasions, he watched the man exit the valley by means of a dark tunnel in the base of the rocky cliff that made the valley. He was curious, and wanted to know why he couldn't go with.

Pegasus knew he had to be cautious with his answer. He had to make the little boy fearful so that he would never stray from the tower. He didn't want to lose Ryou, or rather, Ryou's hair and the magic it possessed. The child was part of him now. He treasured Ryou as if he was a prized rose or a precious jewel.

Ryou was his new magic flower, and he was determined to keep the boy hidden.

"The outside world is a dangerous place filled with horrible, selfish people." Pegasus replied as he lifted the hair off of Ryou's neck to view the white tuff of hair he kept trimmed short. "They wanted your gift for themselves, so they cut your hair. You must stay here, where you're safe. Do you understand, flower?"

"Yes father." Ryou shivered, feeling that the outside world must be a dangerous place.

But on the night of his fifth birthday, Ryou tiptoed down the stairs to one of the window. He peeked out, and there in the night sky where thousands of sparkling lights drifting up beyond the ridge of the valley.

The same thing happened again on the night of his sixth birthday, his seventh, eight, and ninth birthdays. Ryou loved those floating lights. He even grew to believe that they were somehow meant for him.

Ryou didn't know it, but each year the king, queen, and all the people of the kingdom would release thousands of glowing lanterns as beacons for their lost princes'. They hoped that one day, the lights would guide them home.

* * *

**MMMG:** End of chapter.

**Atemu:** Where's Yugi?!

**MMMG:** He got sold as a slave once he turned 3. In Egypt. Guess who he eventually met.

**Yugi:** Oh. Did my hair get cut to?

**MMMG:** No, the slave traders snipped one bit to discover it turned black tipped with amethyst. They figured it had magical properties, so they let if grow.

**Bakura:** Why Pegasus as Mother Gothel?

**MMMG:** I was considering Dartz, but went with Pegasus due to the fact he has silver hair, _like Ryou_. It make for a better connection for Pegasus because they both have silver hair. A 'family tie', if you will.

**Ryou:** Please review and let us know what you think so far!


	2. Chapter 2: When will my Life Begin?

**MMMG:** Hey everyone! Thanks or the nice responce for the last chapter!

**Bakura:** I wasn't in it!

**MMMG:** That's next chapter.

**Bakura:** Curse you!

**MMMG:** Why would you do that? If I'm cursed, how will I write the story? And one other thing. I'm writing this story in two 'parts' per chapter. The first part is Ryou's story, the second part is Yugi's. You'll see how it goes once you get there.

**Ryou:** MMMG does not own Yugioh, Disney's 'Tangled', or Disney's 'Tangled Junior Novelization'. Enjoy!

* * *

_Autumn Daughter: Well, it's Ryou's turn to be a main character._

_Wordsorcereress: Yes, you can hold them. That is, if you can find Atemu and Bakura and get them to let go. Yes, Yugi will have his own 'cut scenes' story. Yugi manages, he always does. _

_Killer-Fangirl: Yugi's story will be added. I'm not that mean._

_LuvlyLadyLexi: That means I'm doing my job! Yes!_

_ Animesaki: I never even considered Malik for that role. Nursemaid is an unknown character. I don't have a person for her, but if it being Tea makes you happy, by all means. _

_5500jess: Easy with the water gun. Nursemaid is an unknown character. I don't have a person for her, but if it being Tea makes you happy, by all means._

* * *

Chapter 2: When will My Life Begin?

* * *

Years passed, and Ryou grew into a wonderful young man with deep chocolate brown eyes and 70 feet of long silver hair, and some bangs that refused to grow. 70 feet of hair that could be used to swoop from the rafters in the tower and hoist his father up to the room on top of the tower.

Ryou wore it a certain way. A single braid at the base of his neck, that once reaching his waist split into two braids, and once reaching the floor, was unbraided and left hanging loose.

And despite his lonely life atop that tower, nothing could destroy his spirit.

His only friend was a Kuriboh that was named Heba. From what Ryou saw from outside his tower, this one was different than the other Kuribohs', only because this one's fur was golden instead of brown. And that made the poor thing an outcast among its kind. So Ryou took care of him and in turn, Heba helped the day go faster by playing games with the boy.

Currently, they were playing hide and seek. From one of the tower windows, Heba bounced out and hid inside a very large strawberry plant. Hoping it was enough, Heba held his breath as Ryou's footsteps came closer.

"Ha!" Ryou cried as he opened the window, not spotting Heba right away but knew he was nearby. "Hmm. Well, I guess Heba's not hiding out here..."

Ryou walked away from the window, and Heba sighed in relief. As the little Kuriboh wiped his forehead, a strand of silver hair found his left foot and pulled him out of hiding.

"Gotcha!" Ryou exclaimed as he stood in the window and counted the game of hide and seek that he had won. "That's twenty-two for me. How about twenty-three out of forty-five?"

Heba groaned. Not again. Did they really have to play again?

"Okay." Ryou sat down on the windowsill with a huff. "Well, what do you want to do?"

Heba immediately perked up and bounced to the edge of the windowsill. Pointing outside with one of his fingers, Heba cooed in delight. Glancing back, Heba saw Ryou shaking his head.

"Yeah, I don't think so." Ryou replied as he picked the golden ball up and gestured back inside the tower. "I like it in here and so do you."

As much as Ryou wanted to, he couldn't go outside without Pegasus' permission. _Outside!_ Ryou could only imagine outside. A place filed with creatures, plants, sights, sounds, and smells he had never experienced!

Heba knew that, but didn't like it. He made that obvious as he slumped and blew Ryou a raspberry. Seriously, what was that boy so attracted to inside that place? Outside there were things to do and people to see! Or people to find.

"Oh, come on, Heba." Ryou sighed as they left the window, went back inside, and up to the rafters. "It's not so bad in there..."

Tossing his hair up to a lever, Ryou pulled down to open some shutters and let the warm sunlight into the tower. The room it's self was tall and narrow. The main level had a kitchen, a living room, a fire place, a room for Pegasus to sleep in, and the window Pegasus used to enter and exit the tower. Up a small set of wooden stairs was a loft where Ryou slept. Here he also had a box of paints, a guitar, and a little bed for Heba.

Ryou kept himself busy every day, but today was a special day, so he had to be quick and done by the time father got there.

_7 AM, the usual morning lineup_

_Start up the chores and sweep till the floor's all clean_

_Polish and wax, do laundry, and mop and shine up_

_Sweep again, and by then it's like 7:15._

Next were Ryou's favorite activities. First was reading there books, one about culinary arts, which helped with is cooking, a second on geology, and his third and favorite was about botany, simply because it explained things that grew outside.

But his passion was painting. The tower's walls were covered in art. Ryou used his hair and the rafters to get to the spots he hadn't reached yet.

Later he would sit down and play his guitar. He was self-taught, but the melodies that floated form the strings were beautiful.

_And so I'll read a book, or maybe two or three_

_I'll add a few new paintings to my gallery_

_I'll play guitar and knit, and cook and basically_

_Just wonder when will my life begin?_

As Ryou and Heba smelled the apple pie he pulled from the oven, Ryou noticed a chest that was accented by a couple of red curtains. He hadn't painted there yet. And he knew just what he wanted to paint as he shoved the large chest out of the way and painted the wall a dark blue color.

Taking a break, he went to his few puzzles he took apart and put back together regularly with Heba. When he started feeling pent up, they turned to playing darts. Both were fairly good shots, and kept throwing the darts at odd angles to reach the targets.

Afterwards, they moved onto arts and crafts, which ranged anywhere to candles, sewing, knitting, pottery, drawing, ventriloquy, and so few more.

_Then after lunch its puzzles and darts and baking_

_Paper mache, a bit of ballet and chess_

_Pottery and ventriloquy, candle making_

_Then I'll stretch, maybe sketch, take a climb, sew a vest!_

Heba couldn't help but groan as he watch Ryou do the same thing day after day after day after day! Didn't that boy ever get board? He was bound to have those book memorized by now, the walls were simply covered in art, and brushing your 70 ft. length of hair was definitely not the most interesting thing to do.

_And I'll re-read the books if I have time to spare_

_I'll paint the walls some more, I'm sure there's room somewhere_

_And then I'll brush and brush and brush and then braid my hair_

_Stuck in the same place I've always been_

_And I'll keep wondering and wondering and wondering and wondering_

_When will my life begin?_

As his 18th birthday approached, Ryou decided that this birthday would be different. At least, he hoped so. But first he had to gather the courage to ask Pegasus for the biggest favor he could grant. Pegasus had always told Ryou that someday, when he was old enough and ready, he would be allowed to go outside.

_Tomorrow night, lights will appear_

_Just like they do on my birthday each year_

Ryou went to stand by a window so he could look at his finished painting. It was a picture of what he saw every year on his birthday from his window. The night sky with glowing lights rising to mingle with the stars. He had even added a small picture of him perched on a tree, hoping that somehow father got the message he was ready to see what life was like outside of his tower and the valley.

_What is it like out there where they glow?_

_Now that I'm older, Father might just let me go..._

Ryou nervously hoped that Father would finally allow him to go out. He had to find the source of those mysterious floating lights that appeared every year on his birthday.

* * *

_Five years earlier, Egypt_

* * *

Heba sighed as he tugged his long and braided golden hair after him. Such a bother, but useful. He had great aim with the strands and could easily hit/knock out people that were trying to hurt or steal from him. It also had magical properties that could heal the sick and injured.

But the problem was he couldn't cut it, or it would lose those properties. Despite the pain it was, Heba couldn't bear to cut it.

One year earlier, Heba had run away from the woman he had known his entire life; she was his master. He had done something to upset her, and was not willing to be sold to someone else. By some miracle of Ra, he had actually managed to slip away unnoticed, and stay hidden.

Speaking of hiding, that what he was trying to do now. Some royals were riding along the riverbank, and he didn't want to be noticed. Heba and his hair were quite popular, since it really was no secret about what he could do.

Watching from the bulrushes in the river, Heba had one hand on a rope of hair just in case they noticed him. But any plans he had on attacking quickly vanished from his mind.

On a large white horse was a young man who looked to be about his age. He had gravity deifying, star-shaped, tri-color hair (black, blonde, and tipped in crimson), along with lightning bolts streaks that went up his hair. His skin was tanned from the light Ra gave every single day and he had crimson eyes. His tunic was elaborately decorated, gold cuffs lay on this wrist and arms, and gold earrings hung from his ears.

Heba knew that his guy was important, probably a member of the royal family and not a visiting noble out for an excursion with the royal family. Despite his instincts warning him away, Heba couldn't stop watching the teen.

And it was a good thing. Arrows flew from the bushes about 50 ft. from where Heba was hiding. One struck the crimson eyed male in the right side of his chest, and he fell off his horse, into the fast moving river.

A sudden rage came over Heba. Sure, he didn't know the guy, but he couldn't let him drown. Hands moving before his mind could even think, one strand struck the man who had shot the arrows, while the other caught the drowning male in the river. Pulling with all his strength, Heba tried to pull him ashore, but got pulled into the fast moving current as well.

Why did it have to be the flood season?

Not willing to give up, Heba kicked over to the now unconscious teen and held his head above water. Looking around, he spotted a dead tree hanging over the river. He only had one shot, reach, reach… got it!

Holding on tightly, Heba pulled him and the unconscious male out of the water on the opposite shore. The wound looked bad. Heba winced as he pulled the arrow out and the man jerked in pain, coughing up blood. Biting his lip and looking around, Heba placed his hair over the injury, and started to sing.

_Flower, gleam and glow_

_Let your powers shine_

_Make the clock reverse_

_Bring back what once was mine_

Heba's hair began to glow a bright golden color, its magical energies at work. The glow started at the hair roots and traveled to the very tips, lighting up every strand of hair.

The man Heba had rescued stopped coughing and lay still as his body was healed. He was pulled into consciousness by warmth in his chest and soft singing.

_Heal what has been hurt_

_Change the fates design_

_Save what has been lost_

_Bring back what once was mine_

_What once was mine_

Heba pulled his hair back and check the injury spot. Healed. Now he could leave, preferably before the man's company found him. Heba pulled away and gathered his hair. But not before he looked at the young man's face.

His crimson eyes were barely open, but it was enough for them to see the other's eye color. Crimson and amethyst.

Heba gasped and quickly ran away. He had heard rumors that the prince of the land had crimson eyes, but he had never believed it.

Until now.

* * *

Atemu sat up as he placed a hand where he knew he had been struck with an arrow. There was nothing there except a blood stain and a torn piece of clothing. The arrow that had hit him was lying nearby. Someone had saved him.

Someone with amethyst eyes.

* * *

**MMMG:** What did you think? Good? Bad?

**Atemu:** The Kuriboh and Yugi both got the name Heba...

**MMMG:** I'll leave you to speculate what happened. But I did change Yugi's name to be something more Egyptian, since he is in Egypt.

**Yugi:** Please review and let us know what you think! Favorite part, least favorite part, spelling/grammer mistakes, etc.


	3. Chapter 3: Father Knows Best

**MMMG:** Surprise! Next chapter!

**Bakura:** WTF is with all of these chapters?!

**MMMG:** Don't get used to it. I'm not going to be able to update at all next week, so this is my gift to you guys. If I do manage to update, it will be because of a miracle.

**Ryou:** We understand.

**Seto:** MMMG does not own Yugioh, Disney's 'Tangled', or Disney's 'Tangled Junior Novelization'.

**Joey:** Enjoy the chapter!

**MMMG:** And just as a warning, Pegasus sings this chapter.

**Mokuba:** What?!

**MMMG:** On with the show!

* * *

_Wordsorcereress: Sorry you're confused, but somewhere in the 'Snuggly Duckling' scene, or shortly afterwards, it will be completely explained. Yugi's hair is braided, easier to carry and use as a weapon. Hurts more when you hit something. And Ryou's pet, who do you think it is? Huh, an idea? I've been dropping hints. Yugi was a slave, he ran away from the nursemaid who kidnapped him. She saw Pegasus singing over Ryou, which is how he knows that song. _

_Killer-Fangirl: Yes, that's exactly why Yugi's name is Heba. _

_IrisCode: Ryou is a bit embarassed at being called a princess, but thanks you none the less. _

_Aqua girl 007: Yeah, I'm having a hard time imagining long hair on the boys as well. You're the first one who has made the Yugi-Kuriboh connection, congrats! Don't worry, it will be explained in future chapters, (somewhere in 5-7 I think)._

_RAINY-RAIN: I actually wasn't considering 'The Little Mermaid' when I wrote that scene. _

_Animesaki: You're making connections, good job. Yes, Pegasus sings, you can skip it. All hail the frying pan! LOL!_

_Autumn Daughter: Another connection maker. Of course Ryou smaks people with his frying pan. _

_BabyNinetails: I wasn't considering 'The Little Mermaid' when I wrote that scene. I have no clue who Maximus will be, I'm asking for help at the end of the chapter. _

* * *

Chapter 3: Father Knows Best

* * *

At that very moment, three men were sneaking along the rooftop of the palace. Their goal: steal the crowns of the lost princes. No matter what.

The first man had white hair that fell to right above his shoulders, cut really ragged. His skin was tanned, and he had a double T scar under his right eye. He wore a fancy red robe that showed his bare chest, grey shorts that fell to his knees, and sandals on his feet. He was the Thief King Akefia, and his thieving specialty was being able to get anything he wanted to steal.

The other two with him were twins. Both wore masks to cover their faces, had long dark teal colored hair that was pulled back into a ponytail, brown pants, tan shirts, and sandals. Their names were Arkana and Pandora, and their specialty in thieving was disappearing.

Upon reaching the roof of room where the crowns were stored, Akefia glanced up. It was a great view of the whole kingdom. If he had a castle of his own, he could look down on the low lives all day long.

"I could get used to a view like this." Pandora said "I want a castle."

"We do this job and you can buy your own castle." Akefia growled back as he tied a rope into a harness around his waist and chest. "Now hoist me down."

Arkana elbowed his twin to get him to focus. The grabbed the rope and lowered Akefia into the treasury. Guards surrounded the cases that held the crowns, but not one of them was looking directly at the crowns. Akefia moved fast, knowing that one wrong move could end this mission, and that wouldn't sit well with his partners. They would leave him down there to take the blame.

One of the guards, a man with brown hair, blue eyes, and a foreign accent sneezed. Reaching into a pocket, Valon grabbed a handkerchief to blow his nose and clear some of his hay fever. As he pocketed the piece of cloth, Valon noticed something.

"Huh?" Valon turned his full attention to the cases that held the crowns to discover they were missing. "The crowns are gone!"

Stealing the crowns was a high crime and not a joking matter. The people of the kingdom firmly believed that their lost princes would return to them one day, and their crowns had to be ready for them.

Akefia laughed from the roof when he heard the exclamation. Well, duh! They were gone. He had just stolen them and put them in his satchel. Moving fast and threw the side streets, Akefia, Pandora, and Arkana quickly raced out of the city, across the bridge that connected the main island to a different one, and into the forest.

"The look on his face!" Akefia cackled in delight as he held up the satchel that held the crowns. "All the things we've seen and it's only eight in the morning. This is a very big day!"

* * *

"This is it." Ryou sighed as he and Heba packed his paints away. "This is a very big day, Heba. I'm finally going to do it. I'm going to ask him."

"Ryou!" Pegasus' voice floated through the open window, making Ryou gasp. "Let down your hair!"

"It's time." Ryou giggled nervously as Heba straightens up, arching his body as a way of telling his friend to be brave. "I know, I know. Come on, don't let him see you."

For some reason, Pegasus had never approved of having indoor pets. If Heba was inside the tower at the same time as Pegasus, the little Kuriboh had to stay hidden out of sight. Not wanting to get Ryou into any trouble, Heba quickly bounced over to a pile of clothe Ryou was using to make a quilt, and hid in the brightly colored fabrics. After checking that Heba was well hidden, Ryou went over to the window.

"Ryou, I'm not getting any younger down here." Pegasus called with a small hint of annoyance in his voice, a basket of vegetables on his arm.

"Coming, father!" Ryou called down.

Ryou placed his long silver hair on a hook outside the widow and tossed it down. Pegasus grabbed the end, and with a well-practiced motion, made the silver hair into a loop he could place his foot into while Ryou hoisted him up. Ryou grunted as he pulled the man up to the tower window. It was hard work!

"Hi." Ryou greeted, panting as Pegasus pulled himself through the window. "Welcome home, father."

"Uh, Ryou!" Pegasus gasped as he set down his basket and tossed the hood off of his cloak, revealing his silver-white hair. "How you manage to do that every single day without fail! It looks absolutely exhausting, darling."

"Oh, it's nothing." Ryou replied, trying to sound cheerful.

"Then I don't know why it takes so long!" Pegasus scolded before he began laughing. "Oh darling, I'm just teasing."

Ryou chuckled a little at his father's antics as well. But his mind was more focused on the question he wanted to ask. The best thing to do was to get right to it.

"So, father, as you know tomorrow is a very big day…" Ryou followed his father, who had tossed his cloak to the floor, to the full body mirror they had.

Ryou, look in that mirror." Pegasus interrupted as he drew the boy close to him. "You know what I see? I see a strong, confident, _gorgeous_ young man."

Ryou hummed softly as he looked at his reflection. Did his father really see all that? Did that mean he thought Ryou was ready to…?

"Oh look, you're here too." Pegasus continued as he started laughing again. "I'm just teasing! Stop taking everything so seriously."

"Okay." Ryou nodded as he bit down the minor bit of disappointment he had felt once he realized his father had been talking about his own reflection. "So father, as I was saying, tomorrow is…"

"Ryou, father's feeling a little run-down." Pegasus interrupted again, turning from examining the spots on his hand and sags under his eyes. "Would you sing for me, dear? Then we'll talk."

"Oh!" Ryou perked up and quickly went off. "Of course, father."

Ryou carried Pegasus' chair over next to the fire place and sat it down as the man slowly walked over. Ryou placed the stool he sat on close by the chair and sat Pegasus down in his chair. The man was shocked, but made himself comfortable as Ryou put a brush in his hair and hair that was unbraided in the man's lap. Ryou sat down and began to sing as fast as he could.

_Flower, gleam and glow_

_Let your power shine_

_Make the clock reverse_

_Bring back what once was mine_

"Wait!" Pegasus tried to slow Ryou's fast paced singing, but his 'son' apparently didn't hear him. "Wait!"

_Heal what has been hurt_

_Change the fate's design_

_Save what has been lost_

_Bring back what once was mine_

Pegasus began to brush Ryou's hair as fast as possible, hoping to catch some of the magic that flowed through it. It came in a large burst on Ryou's last word, making the man more youthful again.

"Ryou!" Pegasus glared at the boy in anger, but Ryou didn't notice as he leaned in close.

"Father, earlier I was saying tomorrow's a pretty big day and you didn't really respond." Ryou prattled off as he snuggled close. "So I'm just going to tell you, it's my birthday! Ta-da!"

"No, no, no, can't be." Pegasus replied with a smile as he gently pushed Ryou off of his arm. "I distinctly remember. Your birthday was last year."

"That's the funny thing about birthdays, they're kind of an annual thing." Ryou chuckled nervously as he sat back down on his stool, stumbling over his words. "Father, I'm turning 18, and I wanted to ask… what I really want for this birthday... Actually what I've wanted for quite a few birthdays now.."

"Ryou, please, stop with the mumbling." Pegasus cut in as he stood up and pinched Ryou's cheek. "You know how I feel about the mumbling. Blah-blah-blah-blah, it's very annoying. I'm just teasing, you're adorable, I love you so much, darling."

Ryou bit his lip as he watched his father walk over to the kitchen area. Who was he kidding? He was never going to get courage to ask. A small coo made Ryou look over the scrap pile Heba was watching from. The little golden Kuriboh made an encouraging motion with his hand, telling Ryou to go for it.

"I want to see the floating lights!" Ryou blurted out.

Pegasus was stunned. Ryou himself was stunned. He had asked. He had finally asked!

"What?" Pegasus asked as he set the apple he had in his hand down.

"I was hoping you would take me to see the floating lights." Ryou explained as he pulled the red curtain away from his floating light painting.

"Oh." Pegasus nodded as he reached for another apple, hoping Ryou was still young enough to be fooled. "You mean the stars."

"That's the thing." Ryou shook his head excitedly as he used as length of hair to open another window to reveal a painting of star constellations that changed as the year went by. "I've charted stars and they're always constant. But these, they appear every year on my birthday, father. _Only_ on my birthday. And I can't help but feel like they're... they're meant for me."

Pegasus could hardly keep himself from lashing out in anger. Ryou was smart, but he was smarter. He tried to appear calm and gather his wits.

"I need to see them, father." Ryou begged as he watched the silver haired man cross over to the windows. "And not just from my window. In person. I have to know what they are."

"You want to go outside?" Pegasus asked light heartedly with a scoff as he shut the window shutters and started to sing.

_Why, Ryou… look at you, as fragile as a flower_

_Still a little sapling, just a sprout_

_You know why we stay up in this tower_

"I know but..." Ryou tried to speak but was quickly over run as Pegasus continued to close the curtains and shutters.

_That's right, to keep you safe and sound, dear_

_Guess I always knew this day was coming_

_Knew that soon you'd want to leave the nest_

_Soon, but not yet_

"But…!" Ryou protested as Pegasus placed a finger to the boy's lip.

_Shh! Trust me, pet_

_Father knows best_

Pegasus closed the final shutter, plunging the tower into darkness. Ryou blinked and quickly lit one of his homemade candles. He peered around, trying to find where father had gone.

_Father knows best_

_Listen to your father_

_It's a scary world out there_

"Ah!" Ryou screamed.

Pegasus had made a very scary face and gesture to Ryou out of the darkness before disappearing into it again. Ryou blinked and tried to locate his father, but soon found that he couldn't, no matter how hard he tried.

_Father knows best_

_One way or another_

_Something will go wrong, I swear_

_Ruffians, thugs, poison ivy, quicksand_

_Cannibals and snakes... The plague!_

"No!" Ryou yelped, but felt a shiver run up his spine at each word his father said.

"Yes!" Pegasus nodded as he extinguished his green glowing lantern, leaving Ryou mostly in the dark again.

"But…" Ryou tried to follow but ended up tripping and falling to the ground.

_Also large bugs_

_Men with pointy teeth, _

_And stop! No more, you'll just upset me_

Ryou whimpered as he used his hair to make a small burrow for him to nestle in as he glanced around fearfully. Pegasus pulled the boy up and into a hug before vanishing again.

_Father's right here, father will protect you_

_Darling here's what I suggest_

_Skip the drama, stay with papa_

_Father knows best_

Any candles that had been lit by Ryou were extinguished. Ryou lit another light and moved from candle to candle lighting them. Pegasus followed behind and put out each light with his fingers.

_Father knows best_

_Take it from your popsy_

_On your own, you won't survive_

_Sloppy, underdressed, immature, clumsy_

_Please, they'll eat you up alive_

Ryou felt embarrassed as his father started pointing out all of his flaws. Ryou desperately tried to cover them, but that only lead to exposing other imperfections.

_Gullible, naive, positively grubby_

_Ditzy and a bit, well, hmm vague_

_Plus, I believe, getting kind of chubby_

_I'm just saying 'cause I love you_

Ryou panted as he tried to catch his breath. What little light there was flickered out. Ryou screamed as he reached out and felt around, trying to find something familiar to hold on to.

_Father understands, father's here to help you_

_All I have is one request_

Light shown behind Ryou. Turning, the teen saw his father and ran over to hug him. Pegasus returned the hug, feeling that he was certain that Ryou understood that it was safer for him inside the tower than in the outside world. But he had to be sure.

"Ryou?" Pegasus pulled back a bit, placing his hands on Ryou's shoulders.

"Yes?" Ryou asked as he looked up to the man's face.

"Don't ever ask to leave this tower _again_." Pegasus said firmly, dangerously, as the grip he had on Ryou tightening.

"Yes, Father." Ryou replied obediently, slumping in sadness.

"Oh, I love you very much, dear." Pegasus' tone changed to a warm one.

"I love you more." Ryou answered quietly as he smiled again.

"I love you most." Pegasus replied as he kissed Ryou's forehead, and finished his song.

_Don't forget it, you'll regret it_

_Father knows best!_

Ryou watched as his father got ready to leave again. How could he ever doubt his father's love? Lowering the man down, Ryou watched him move to the exit of the valley.

"Ta-ta!" Pegasus called. "I'll see you in a bit, my flower."

"I'll be here." Ryou whispered as he unhooked his hair.

Ryou waved sadly as he watched his father disappear passed the walls of the valley… and into the mysterious world beyond.

* * *

_Four years ago, Egypt_

* * *

Heba sighed as he lowered himself into the river. The flood stages had passed, and all of the Nile crocodiles were nesting further upstream, so now would be the best time to bathe. Heba rarely go this chance, due to his hair being so long. Thankfully, he had taught himself how to braid it into two or three separate braids years ago.

Allowing himself to relax, Heba looked to the sky, but soon found himself groaning. Ever since he had rescued that crimson eyed stranger a year ago, Heba just couldn't get him out of his head. What was wrong with him?

A hand suddenly clapped over his mouth and another around his chest, pinning his arms. Heba kicked and lashed out as much as he could, but found he couldn't move anymore.

"Hush now!" a baritone voice said. "I just want to talk, but I couldn't risk you running away before I had the chance."

Heba felt his eyes narrow. What was this, some sort of trick to get him to let his guard down? Well, this guy could eat camel dung! When the hand was removed from his mouth, Heba turned to the guy to say so, but stop.

He was staring into crimson eyes. This was the person he had saved a year ago, the one he couldn't get out of his head.

"Who are you?" Heba asked, and blushed.

Of all the things he could have said, he had to say that? Who are you? Not, did you get home okay? Or maybe, how are you doing? Oh, here's a good one, why were you spying on me while I was bathing?

The teen didn't seem to mind. In fact, he chuckled at the question. Heba didn't get was so funny, but let it slide. And then another question popped into his mind, making him blush even more than he already was.

"Can you please let go of me?" Heba squeaked. "I'd like to get dressed."

"Oh, sorry." Atemu quickly let go and turned his head away.

Heba compensated grabbing his clothes and running. But that would be rude, the guy just wanted to talk to him. Right? And besides, Heba wanted to talk with him to, find out why he couldn't get the crimson eyed teen out of his head.

"Okay." Heba sighed after he tightened the only piece of clothing he had, his shendyt, around his waist. "I'm decent."

"I want to thank you, for saving me a year ago." Atemu said as he looked over and smiled at Heba softly.

"It was nothing." Heba waved his hand dismissively.

"No, it's something." Atemu replied. "I could have died, but you saved me."

"And I'm telling you, forget about it." Heba responded.

"I can't." Atemu huffed. "I've tried forgetting for the past year, but all I can think about is you. I want to know why I keep thinking of you."

"I have the same problem." Heba mutter, making Atemu's eyes widen. "I couldn't stop thinking about you after the incident."

"What do we do about it?" Atemu asked with a sigh.

"Get to know each other?" Heba offered.

"Very well then." Atemu got as comfortable as he could of the rocky and sandy soil. "My name is Atemu."

"I'm Heba." Heba replied with a smile. "It's nice to meet you."

"And you." Atemu grinned back.

* * *

**MMMG:** End of chapter. I won't be back until March 20th, 2013, for sure. Anything before that, is a miracle update.

**Atemu****:** Things are advancing.

**MMMG:** Yes they are. Okay people, I need you help. I have no clue who should have Maximus' role. You know, the horse? I don't know if it should be a person turned horse, or a duel monster. If you have any ideas, I'm open to recieve them!

**Yugi:** Please review and let us know what you think! Likes, dislikes, spelling/grammer, etc.


	4. Chapter 4: I know what I want

**MMMG:** Le gasp! It's a miracle! I updated before my schedualed date!

**Yugi:** Wow. How did you manage?

**MMMG:** My brother let me use his computer for updating. Not reading stories I want to check out, updating. So be grateful people!

**Atemu:** Duly noted. MMMG does not own Yugioh, Disney's Tangled, or Disney's Tangled Junior Novelization. Enjoy.

**MMMG:** And thank you everyone for voting. I'm going with Animesaki's idea of Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus, minus the wings, so he's just a horse.

* * *

_Killer-Fangirl: Thanks for the vote, and the song. You're right, miracles do happen._

_Aqua girl 007: Akefia is the name I've seen for the Thief King/Ancient Egyptian version of Bakura thrown around the fandom. That's the only reason I'm using it. As for the songs, I'm not that good with writing no songs. I did it once, and hated the way the chapter turned out. If the movie has a song, I add the song. I try not to add songs to my stoires that don't have songs, but it just happens sometimes. _

_Animesaki: Speculate all you want. Ryou is about to join the frying pan club. Of course Atemu's naughty, he's Yugi's other half! And thanks for your vote._

_Konoha's Hanyou Kunoichi: This chapter. Yes, I still would have written it, but when people request stories from me, I go in the order they request before I do what I desire to write. _

_5500jess: They're meeting this chapter. Yugi's story happend 4-5 years before Ryou's because it happened 4-5 years before Ryou. In Yugi's/Heba's story, he's 13 in chapter 2, 14 in chapter 3, and 15 this chapter. By the time Yugi meets Ryou, he'll be 17/18 like his twin brother. Thanks for your vote!_

_Dixie C Jones: Thanks for the tip, but Maximus' role will remain as a horse. _

_Wordsorcereress: Yeah, the babies have grown up. Thanks, I was scared I didn't keep Akefia in character. Pandora and Arkana are the same person, one of Malik's Rare Hunters, just using the american and japanese names. I couldn't figure any one else for the role, you'll see why in future chapters. Oh Ra, we're all perverted. Heba plushy? Here you go... I keep spares for my readers on hand. _

_InuYoiushi: Thanks for your vote!_

_IrisCode: Ryou forgives, thanks for your vote, and hope you like this next chapter. _

_Autumn Daughter: Thanks for supporting my character choice. Yugi's story happend 4-5 years before Ryou's because it happened 4-5 years before Ryou. In Yugi's/Heba's story, he's 13 in chapter 2, 14 in chapter 3, and 15 this chapter. By the time Yugi meets Ryou, he'll be 17/18 like his twin brother._

* * *

Chapter 4: I know what I want

* * *

At that very moment, Akefia, Pandora, and Arkana were running through the forest. They were being chased by the mounted palace guards. The guard's rides, the best trained horses in the country, were just as determined as their riders to get the crowns back.

At the moment, it seemed like the thieves had lost their pursuers, so they took a quick breather, leaning against some trees for support. Akefia lifted his head up to see he was looking at a wanted poster of himself, except his right eye and scar were badly drawn, making them look swollen and bulbous.

'_Why can't they ever get the scar right?_' Akefia growled to himself, jealous that Pandora and Arkana's poster was perfect, down to the trim details on their masks.

"There they are!" Raphael, the captain of the guard, yelled as he spotted the thieves from a ridge above.

Akefia snatched his _Wanted_ poster off the tree and stuffed it into his satchel as he and his partners in crime took off again. Again they ran at top speed, but soon found themselves trapped at the end of a ravine. The only way out was to climb the sheer 15 ft. walls.

Even though Arkana and Pandora were his partners, Akefia knew that they could be dangerous cutthroats you didn't want to mess with. Sure, he could take on one of them, but not both at the same time. He wasn't _that_ awesome. But right now Akefia was worried they would team up together, kill him, and take the crowns. He needed a plan to escape the guards, _and_ his thieving partners.

"Give me a boost, and I'll pull you up." Akefia instructed, thinking fast.

"Give us the satchel first." Pandora replied after glancing at his twin.

"You don't trust me?" Akefia growled, but quickly changed his mind as he recalled that they could kill him if they got desperate enough. "Fine."

Akefia forked over the satchel, understanding there reasoning. He did have a reputation as being the one who got away, leaving his partners behind to take the fall. At least this way he would _have_ to help his partners up after him if he wanted to get any profit from the crowns.

The twins stood on each other's shoulders, and Akefia climbed up, focusing on finding hand and footholds. But Akefia was a sly and clever fellow. As he climbed the shoulders of his partners, he grabbed the satchel back, unnoticed.

"Now help us up." Arkana demanded as he held up his hand.

"Sorry, my hands are full." Akefia held up the satchel with an evil grin before turning to run. "Enjoy prison!"

"What?" Arkana felt for the bag around his waist, but quickly came up with nothing. "Curse you, Thief King!"

"Get a hobby!" Akefia laughed back.

Chuckling at the words, Akefia quickly changed his tune. Five mounted guards were riding right at him. Sharply turning, he ran as fast as he could between the trees, hoping to lose his pursuers by running through gaps that were too narrow for them.

"Retrieve that satchel at any cost!" Raphael barked to the other soldiers, Valon, Alister, Duke, and Tristan.

"Yes sir!" the men replied.

Of all of the horses that were being ridden, the captain's horse, named Zafiro, was the most determined. He kept the other mounts in shape with his body language, in this case, laid back ears and sharp neighs. They were going to get that satchel back, no matter what it took.

A shower of arrows rained down around Akefia, but he dodged them all, and even plucked a couple out of midair as they passed him.

With the royal guard hot on his trial, Akefia spotted a Y-shaped tree ahead and ran right for it. He hurled himself through the opening in the Y, lading safely on the other side. The horses of the royal guard stumbled to a stop behind him… all but one, the captain's.

"We got him now, Zafiro!" Raphael told his faithful mount, who put on an extra burst of speed to catch up. "He won't get away this time!"

Akefia took a quick glance back at the horse. How had he jumped through that gap? Grabbing a vine, he swung through the air around the back of a tree, and knocked the captain right off his horse, taking his place in the saddle.

"Hee-ya!" Akefia encouraged the horse forward laughing, but quickly stopped when the animal halted suddenly.

Zafiro had felt the change in riders and didn't like it one bit. He was a royal stallion, not some thief's quick ticket to freedom. Zafiro snorted angrily as he glared back at the man on his back.

"Come on, Fleabag!" Akefia snapped as he urged the horse to move with his legs and ankles. "Forward!"

But Zafiro was the best horse in the kingdom, and he did not like being called Fleabag. The horse whipped his head around angrily, and started nipping at the man's satchel. He knew what was in that bag, and he was going to get it.

"No!" Akefia growled as he held the bag away as best he could.

Zafiro began spinning in circles, trying to throw Akefia off, but the thief held on tightly as Zafiro finally managed to sink his teeth into the leather of the bag.

"Give it to me!" Akefia snapped as he tried to tug the pouch out of the horse's mouth. "Give me that!"

Man and horse engaged in a tug of war until Akefia used all of his strength to pull the satchel free, flinging it well out of reach. It landed on the far end of a fallen tree that was rooted into the side of a cliff that stretched across the top of a deep ravine.

Panting, Akefia and Zafiro sized up the situation. They glanced at each other, and that was some silent starting signal. Akefia wasn't used to having such a competent rival as he leapt off the horse's back and scrambled to get to the tree first. But Zafiro was a horse, and that gave him a faster running speed. Leaping back onto the horse, Akefia struggled to stay on as the animal stood partly on the fallen tree.

Zafiro threw the man off, and now saw the thief was desperately hanging to the underside of the tree. Walking out, Zafiro tried to stomp on the man's hands as he moved across the horizontal tree.

Akefia himself was sweating. One wrongly placed hand could mean his death. He scuttled forward as fast as he could, fearing that the satchel would fall before he would get there. Reaching out, a little closer…

"Ha!" Akefia cried out in triumph as he grabbed the bag, hanging onto a branch of the tree that would not support the weight of a horse.

_CRACK!_

Man and beast froze as they both heard the deep sound of the roots pulling away from the cliff face. As the tree broke, both held on tightly, glancing at each other before neither of them could stop the scream of terror that befitted their race escaped their lips.

Halfway down, the tree broke in half due to a large rocky outface, separating Akefia and Zafiro from each other.

Zafiro landed hard, but didn't have any broken bones. His hair had come undone from the fancy way it had been styled back at the palace, but that didn't bother the horse as he shook off the dust. What bothered him was that no good thief was nowhere to be seen. Sticking his head to the ground, Zafiro began to try and find the man's scent, walking around from place to place.

Carefully and quietly, Akefia peeked out from behind the very large rock he was hiding behind, and moved towards a bunch of vines draping a cliff face. He had the satchel, which meant he had the crowns, so now he just had to get rid of that crazy animal! Touching the vines behind him, Akefia expected to fell rock behind them, but felt nothing. Looking more closely, he saw there was a cave. He quickly darted in as Zafiro came back, sniffing like a bloodhound.

'_That beast is relentless_.' Akefia thought as he held his breath, sighing softly once the Zafiro passed on.

But wanted to get as much distance between him and his pursuers as possible, Akefia went deeper into the cave, quickly discovering it was a tunnel. When he emerged from the end of it, he stopped short in shock, which didn't happen too often.

Before the thief lay a beautiful valley. The ground was covered in lush green foliage, a waterfall, glimmered in the sunlight as it tumbled down the rusty-red, rocky walls surrounding the valley and splashed into a clean, fresh pond. A sparkling bright blue stream burbled along a winding path amid fields of flowers.

And in the middle of the valley, a tall tower that reached toward the sky. Sunned by the valley's beauty and awed by this hidden world, Akefia simply stared. He had discovered something truly marvelous. A hide away for his future crimes!

A faint neigh behind him, toward the edge of the tunnel, made Akefia realize something. If he was going to get away, he was going to have to do something that stupid beast would never be able to do. Climb a tower.

Taking the arrows he had snatched while fleeing the guards, Akefia began to use them to hoist himself up. It was a grueling effort, but he had to find refuge. Akefia plunged and pulled out arrow after arrow into the cracks of the tower, pulling himself even higher.

Upon reaching the top, Akefia climbed through the open window, and shut the shutters, panting as he finally felt some sense of relief. He had found a safe harbor where no royal guard, royal horse, or partners in crime would ever find him.

"Alone at last." Akefia panted as he took off the satchel so he could look at his prizes.

_BANG!_

Something hit Akefia in the back of the head, and his world went black.

"Ahh!" Ryou squealed in fright as he hid behind the upper body mannequin he used to make his clothes.

Peeking around his hiding spot, Ryou found himself marveling at the power of a frying pan against the first real person he had met, besides father.

'_He must be a ruffian._' Ryou concluded to himself, remembering all of father's warning about ruffians.

Then Ryou realized he had knocked the man out. Approaching carefully, and using his frying pan, Ryou nudged the man's white head. No response. Ryou glanced over to Heba, who had been the one to warn him that someone else was climbing the tower. Heba motioned with a hand, encouraging Ryou to finish his exploration.

Taking a deep breath, Ryou moved the man's head so he wasn't lying on his nose. Glancing back at Heba, who had moved over to a painting of a man with pointy teeth, Ryou realized that he should probably check this guy for that.

But there were no fangs. In fact, this ruffian looked rather handsome. Using the handle of his frying pan, Ryou flipped the man's bangs away from his eyes, and gasped softly.

The man had tanned skin and white hair that just seemed to have an even blend with each other, and was set off even more by the red cloak he wore. But the man also had a dangerous feel about him. And for some reason, Ryou loved that about the ruffian.

"Huh?" Akefia's eyes popped open as he tried to figure out where he was and what had just happened.

Ryou gasped and hit the man with his frying pan, knocking him out again. Ryou had to do something with him before he awoke, maybe lock him up in someplace where he couldn't escape from. Spotting the closet, Ryou knew he had found the right place.

Taking the man in his arms, Ryou dragged him across the room. He was even heavier than Pegasus! Bending and twisting the man's body, and with many tried and failed attempts, Ryou finally pushed him inside the closet, slammed the doors, and wedged a chair in front of them to keep it closed.

"Okay, okay, okay, I've got a person in my closet." Ryou talked to himself; wait, but that meant… "I've got a person in my closet."

Reality set it. This was proof he could handle anything! He was ready! Father would see that he could handle a person and go outside! He could go see the lanterns!

"I've got a person in my closet!" Ryou laughed to his reflection in the full length mirror. "Too weak to handle myself out there, huh, father? Well... tell that to my frying pan-"

Ryou groaned as he accidentally hit himself with said pan. Rubbing his head, Ryou noticed the man's bag in the mirrors reflection. Something was shining inside of it.

Ryou took out one of the crowns. It was large, jeweled with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires, and Ryou had no idea what it was. To him, it looked like a giant ring. Ryou put it on his forearm, and looked to Heba. The Kuriboh immediately shook his head. The thing was much too big to be a bracelet.

Ryou took it off his arm and peered through one of the large diamonds at Heba. Heba shook his head again. Too weirdly shaped to be some sort of magnifier.

Ryou was puzzled. It was shiny, but not a ring or a bracelet. Maybe it was a necklace! Turning back to his mirror, Ryou lifted it to put it around his neck, but found it settle nicely in his hair. It was a hat.

But… there was something odd about it. If fit snugly and felt like it belonged on his head. His eyes sparkled, and the reflection in the mirror triggered a funny feeling deep inside. Who was that person looking at him in the mirror?

Who was he?

"Ryou!" Pegasus's voice came from outside the tower.

"Oh!" Ryou gasped as he took the item off his head, quickly tossing it and the satchel in a nearby pot.

"Let down your hair!" Pegasus called.

"One moment, father!" Ryou called as he opened the window back up and hooked his hair into the loop.

"I have a big surprise!" Pegasus called up as he grabbed the hair that fell down to him.

"Uh… I do too!" Ryou answered as he began to pull his father up.

"Ooh, I bet my surprise is bigger!" Pegasus called back.

"I seriously doubt it." Ryou whispered to himself as he pulled his father up the tower, glancing at the closet.

"I brought back parsnips." Pegasus announced as soon as he sat down on the windowsill. "I'm going to make hazelnut soup for dinner. Your favorite. Surprise!"

"Well father, there's something I want to tell you." Ryou said cautiously.

"Oh Ryou, you know I hate leaving you after a fight." Pegasus sighed as he hung up his cloak and started to ramble. "Especially when I've done absolutely nothing wrong."

"I've been thinking a lot about what you've said earlier, and -" Ryou remained focused.

"I hope you're not still talking about the stars." Pegasus interrupted, somewhat impatient as he began to unpack his basket of vegetables.

"'Floating Lights', and, yes, I'm leading up to that." Ryou corrected as he started to inch towards his closet.

"Because I really thought we dropped the issue, sweetheart." Pegasus interrupted again in a sing-song tone.

"No, father, I'm just saying, you _think_ I'm not strong enough to handle myself out there." Ryou knew he had to say he had captured a ruffian, all by himself, and then he could go outside!

"Oh, I _know_ you're not strong enough to handle yourself out there." Pegasus stopped unpacking with a laugh.

"But if you just…" Ryou said, not wanting to quarrel, but wanted his father to stop talking and _listen_.

"We're done talking about this." Pegasus said threw gritted teeth.

"Trust me!" Ryou begged as he placed his hand on front of the chair that was keeping the closet closed. "I know what I'm-"

"Ryou." Pegasus warned the boy.

"Oh, come on!" Ryou pleaded, determined to say what he had to say.

"Enough of the lights, Ryou!" Pegasus shouted. "You are not leaving this tower! Ever!"

Pegasus stood in the center of the room, his fist clenched at his sides. Ryou lifted his hand off the chair, dumbfounded. All at once, he realized it didn't matter what he said or did. There was no hope that father would ever let him go outside. Ryou would be trapped at the top of the tower for the rest of his life.

"Great." Pegasus groaned as he collapsed in a nearby chair. "Now I'm the bad guy."

Ryou turned and looked longingly at his mural of lights, and then at his closet. Inside that closet was proof he could handle himself in the outside world. Inside that closet was a ruffian he had captured, by himself! Inside that closet was a guide who could take him to see the floating lights. Father would never have to know about it.

"All I was going to say, father, is that I know what I want for my birthday now." Ryou stepped in front of the chair, now fearing his father was going to ask what it was doing there.

"And what is that?" Pegasus asked wearily.

"New paint." Ryou answered hopefully. "The paint made from the white shells you once brought me."

"That is a very long trip, Ryou." Pegasus replied as he shook his head, trying to dissuade his son. "Almost three days' time."

But this time, everything was different. This time, Ryou knew what he wanted, and knew exactly how he was going to get it.

"I just thought it was a better idea than... stars." Ryou caught himself before he said, 'Floating Lights'.

This was what Pegasus had wanted to hear. His face brightened as he sighed, stood up, and walked over to the boy.

"You'll be all right on your own?" Pegasus asked gently.

"I know I'm safe as long as I'm here." Ryou replied as he gave his father a hug, to which he received a hug and a kiss atop his head in reply.

Ryou packed as basket of food for his father to eat on the journey, trying hard not to rush his movement. Walking over to the window, Ryou handed Pegasus the basket before helping the man down the tower.

"I'll be back in three days' time." Pegasus told his son before he began sliding down. "I love you very much, dear."

"I love you more." Ryou replied as he watched his father walk towards the tunnel.

"I love you most." Pegasus called back as he waved, his voice sounding like a whisper due to the distance between them.

Ryou waved back with a smile, watching until he was sure Pegasus had left the tunnel and was now in the forest beyond. As soon as he was sure of that fact, Ryou raced back in, grabbing his frying pan.

It was time to confront the man who had climbed his tower.

* * *

_Three years ago, Egypt_

* * *

Heba sat at his usual spot by the Nile River. It was the spot where he met Atemu for the past year so they could talk with one another. They couldn't speak with one another very often, once a week, maybe twice if they got lucky. There conversations were interesting ones, to say the least.

Heba had told Atemu that he was a runaway slave their first talk. Atemu had blinked in shock, and asked for the whole story. So, Heba told him about the woman he had been with his whole life, his hair that glowed and healed by singing as song that woman had taught him, and his decision to run away from her. Atemu had been a very patient listener, asking some questions and in turn, told Heba about him.

As it turned out, he was the crown prince of Egypt. He was currently sixteen years old, a year older than Heba. He had a father, a cousin, and an uncle who were still alive, and was starting to deal with the pressure of princesses wanting to marry him for his wealth and body. He liked to escape from the palace just for the sake of getting some fresh air _alone _and a chance to clear his head.

"Hello Heba." Atemu greeted as he walked over.

"Hi Atemu." Heba nodded back as the man sat down next to him.

"How are you doing?" Atemu asked.

"Hitting people with my hair because they want to sell me into slavery, hitting crocodiles that want to eat me, same old stuff." Heba shrugged. "You?"

"Mana is failing amazingly at her spells." Atemu chuckled at the mention of a dear childhood friend. "She's trying to levitate some flowers, and they keep exploding once they reach a certain point. Petals and pollen _everywhere_. I've never heard my cousin sneeze so much."

At this point, Heba couldn't contain his laugher. He had heard all about Atemu's stiff necked cousin, Seth. The man apparently, was allergic to even the word fun. He was so uptight about doing things right and loved to argue his slave, a teen named Joey, to no end.

"Have you thought about what I asked last time?" Atemu asked.

Heba fell quiet. Last time, Atemu had asked Heba to come live in the palace, instead of out by the riverbank. Atemu's reasoning was that he would be happier if Heba was safe in the palace, away from all the people and animals who would want to hurt him. At first, Heba wasn't sure he would. He didn't know how to act around visiting dignitaries, or if he would even make any friends at all.

"I've thought about it." Heba nodded. "I'll go."

"Are you sure?" Atemu asked. "Is this what _you_ want to do? You're not doing this just to please me?"

"I'm sure." Heba replied as he stood up. "I've thought long and hard about this. You're right; it's probably safer for me there. I really don't have much of a life out here. Maybe in the palace I can do something that I feel is worthwhile."

"Okay then." Atemu nodded as he stood up as well. "Do you want to go now, or do you have some things you need to get?"

"I have everything already." Heba replied as he picked up a small bundle that had been sitting next to him and coiled up his hair before hanging it across his chest.

"Stay close to me." Atemu instructed as he began to lead the way back. "If we get separated before I have a chance to introduce you…"

Heba nodded. Many things could happen. Beatings, rape, death… Hopefully, none of those would happen.

Once the palace was in sight, Heba pressed closer to Atemu. He was so nervous. It was make a good first impression, or probably get killed on the spot. Atemu sensed Heba's worry, and gently squeezed the small teen's hand.

Slipping in through Atemu's secret entrance/exit, the two quickly speed to the prince's chambers. By some miracle of the gods, they weren't spotted. After Heba was tucked into Atemu's bed room, the prince called for some guards and asked them to bring his father, the pharaoh, to his chambers.

"Are you okay Heba?" Atemu asked the nervous looking boy.

"No." Heba squeaked as he began to pace. "What if he doesn't like me?"

"Nonsense." Atemu replied firmly as he wrapped his arms around the scared boy and held him close. "He'll love you. Partly because you save my life, but also because you're such a likeable person."

"Really?" Heba asked.

"Really." Atemu nodded.

"Atemu." Aknankanon, Atemu's father, spoke from the doorway. "Who is this?"

"Father, this is Heba." Atemu introduced the man to the scared teen. "He saved my life two years ago."

* * *

**MMMG:** End of the miracle chapter.

**Marik:** It's a cliffhanger!

**Malik:** Which is why we'll appreciate the next update even more.

**MMMG:** Please review! Let me know your most favorite part of the chapter, least favorite part of the chapter, any spelling/grammer mistakes, etc. and I'll see you as soon as I can.


	5. Chapter 5: Now's when My Life Begins

**MMMG:** Chapter 5 is here! One day before my predicted dedline.

**Atemu:** So what's that mean?

**MMMG:** Expect updates at some point on Wed or Thur, any time other than that is unplanned.

**Yugi:** MMMG does not own Disney's 'Tangled', or Disney's 'Tangled Junior Novelization'. Enjoy!

* * *

_dragonwolf416: Closest I can figure, and this is going off the yugioh wikia, Zafiro means Sapphire, because he's a Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus, minus the wings._

_Killer-Fangirl: Thanks for pointing out the 'x'. Those are from my first version of the chapter when I was still trying to figure out Zafiro's character. So 'x' means Zafiro, or horse. _

_IrisCode: Glad you like Disney YGO mixes. And thank you._

_Silver-Haired-Thief: Yep, the Egypt, so many years ago is what happend before the story started. The pharaoh will love Yugi, and something bad will evenutally happen to him, just not in this chapter. _

_Animesaki: Ryou is proud to wield his fry pan! Stop crying! You have to read what's next! Akefia is just annoyed that the kingdom artist can't get his facial features right. And no, it will not be a HDICTT meeting with Heba. _

_Equality4Puppies: Glad your favorite character makes an appearance, and will be making many more. _

_LuvlyLadyLexi: Ah yes. Making that good first impression. I was laughing to. So funny to picture a thief getting beaten by a frying pan._

_Autumn Daughter: Glad you're enjoying the story and the quotes. Zafiro is a duel monster. Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus, minus the wings so he can be a horse._

_Fallinghikari: Of course you can have a Heba plushie. -includes a Atemu one as well.-_

_Wordsorcereress: Sorry you feel down, hope you feel better soon. Your review made me laugh. Vivian trouble ahead, funny abridged referance and future idea. 'Your papa knocked me out' LOL!_

* * *

Chapter 5: Now's when My Life Begins

* * *

Ryou picked up his frying pan, such a useful weapon, and went back over to the closet. Grabbing the chair, he lifted it out from underneath the handles, and positioned the item in front of him as he stepped back several feet from the doors. What? He didn't want to be to close in case the ruffian was awake.

"Okay." Ryou muttered softly to himself as he took a deep breath.

Taking a strand of hair, he tossed it onto one of the closet handles, and pulled the door open. At first, Ryou thought the man was awaked because he was in a standing position. But that thought quickly left one the ruffian fell on the floor, flat on his face.

"Hmm." Ryou considered what he should do while he carefully examined the man.

Spotting a chair, Ryou used his hair and one of the rafters as a pulley system to get the man in said chair. After making sure he was sitting the right way, Ryou used his hair and tied the man down, arms, legs, and chest all wrapped securely. After the task was done, Ryou leapt up into the rafters and waited with his pan, ready for anything.

Heba had carefully crawled onto the man's shoulder, trying not to disturb the forced slumber too much. It was time to get him up. Heba slapped the man with his little hand, and then jumped onto the back of the chair to avoid any struggles.

Nothing happened.

Heba climbed back up and started hitting the man with both hands. Still nothing. Frowning, Heba thought for a moment. Ryou swore he saw a light flash above the Kuriboh's head, signaling he had gotten an idea. Sticking one finger into his mouth and covering it with saliva, Heba stuck said finger into the man's ear.

"Ah!" Akefia yelled as he jerked awake at the cold, and strangely ticklish sensation, in his ear cannel.

Poor Heba fell off his a squeal at the sudden movement, landing on the floor. Akefia didn't notice. He was trying to figure out where he was. When he tried to stand up, Akefia noticed he was bound to a chair by some strange material.

'_Is this hair?_' Akefia found himself wondering as his eyes followed the extremely long silver trail upwards.

"Struggling..." Ryou gulped to keep his voice from cracking after he saw the ruffian start to move. "Struggling is pointless."

"Huh?" Akefia asked, and then felt like kicking himself.

He wasn't the type to sound dumb, so why had he said that? The thought was quickly dismissed from his mind as the person with hair that seemed to fill the room clamored down from the rafters, remaining hidden in the shadows.

"I know why you're here, and I'm not… afraid of you." Ryou continued as he gripped his frying pan tightly.

"What?" Akefia asked in confusion.

How did this person know why he was there? That thought was gone as the thief focused on movement in the shadows. A young male stepped out from the shadows, dressed in a red shirt, brown pants that fell to his mid-calf, and no shoes. If it wasn't for the clothes, you would have thought he was a girl. But what caught most of Akefia's attention was the long silver hair that was attached to this boy's head, and the most beautiful deep brown eyes he had ever seen.

"Who are you?" Ryou asked the ruffian with more courage than he felt as he slowly held up his frying pan. "And how did you find me?"

"Aha." Akefia stammered.

This teen was male and very beautiful, and Akefia hadn't even interested in guys until he had met this one. His silver hair, though excessive, was beautiful and shinning, and his brown eyes were very easy to get lost in. But what did he want from him?

"Who are you, and how did you find me?" Ryou enunciated as he raised the pan a bit higher to emphasize his point.

"I know not who you are, nor how I came to find you." Akefia replied, trying to be charming since it usually worked when he needed to get out of a tough situation with one person. "But may I just say... Hi."

Akefia gave Ryou a devilish grin with a raised eyebrow. Ryou had no idea what the man was trying to do, but he looked really weird. Maybe he was crazy.

"How ya doing?" Akefia continued with a seductive voice. "I'm the Thief King, Akefia. How's your day going? Huh?"

"Who else knows my location, Thief King Akefia?" Ryou shook himself and demanded as he held his pan over his captive's head, needing to know everything before he continued with his plan.

"All right, boy-" Akefia dropped the nice act.

"Ryou." Ryou snapped back.

"Whatever." Akefia rolled his eyes. "Here's the deal. I was in a situation, gallivanting through the forest. I came across your tower and…"

Akefia stopped short and began to look around in alarm. He didn't see his bag anywhere, and that meant he didn't have the crowns. And that meant we wouldn't get a pay day.

"Where is my satchel?" Akefia looked back to Ryou with an angry look.

"I've hidden it." Ryou replied confidently. "Where you'll never find it."

Akefia surveyed the room for two seconds. Closet, stairs, some sort of kitchen, pot, and some cupboards. Most likely…

"It's in that pot, isn't it?" Akefia smirked as he pointed to the pot Ryou had hidden the crowns and satchel.

Ryou's eye twitched, and pan holding hand swung out and smacked Akefia upside the head before he realized what had happened. Okay, maybe he shouldn't have overreacted like that, but it was nice to know the power he possessed with his cookware item. Picking up the satchel, Ryou moved it to under a lose floorboard in the stairs before covering it again.

Heba was rolling on the floor, laughing the whole time. He thought it was hilarious that the thief was getting beaten by a boy with a frying pan. But the laughter stopped for a second when Ryou motioned to him. At first, the little Kuriboh was confused, but smirked once he realized that Ryou wanted him to wake the man up again.

Wetting one of his fingers with his saliva again, Heba stuck it in Akefia's ear. The man stirred with a groan. Once he realized he was awake, and that something cold and wet was in his ear again, he glanced over to see the golden Kuriboh on his shoulder, with one of its fingers in his ear cannel.

"Would you stop that?" Akefia snapped as he jerked his shoulder and wiped his ear.

For the second time that day, Heba fell off the stranger's shoulder, squealing. Correcting himself, Heba glared at the man. For someone who could get them out of there, he wasn't nice.

"Now it's hidden where you'll never find it." Ryou smiled as he started to pace around the ruffian, wrapping him even more tightly in his long hair. "So, what do you want with my hair? To cut it?"

"What?" Akefia asked in disbelief.

"Sell it?" Ryou continued accusingly.

"No!" Akefia snapped. "Listen, the only thing I want to do with your hair, is to get out of it. Literally."

"You… wait, you don't want my hair?" Ryou asked in confusion, recalling that father had said that everyone would want to steal it.

"Why on earth would I want your hair?" Akefia growled with a glare. "Look, I was being chased, I saw a tower, and I climbed it. End of story."

"You're... telling the truth?" Ryou stammered, gently lowering his frying pan in front of the man's face.

"Yes." Akefia snapped exsasperatly.

Heba appeared on Ryou's shoulder, hopped down the teen's arm, and landed in the frying pan, putting him eye to eye with the thief. Growling, he looked the man over. Did this guy have a thing against shirts? But the look in his eye wasn't one of lying. Waving his hand, Heba cooed for Ryou to pull back. But he still growled at the tied up man who had knocked him to the floor.

Twice.

'_Add this experience to my 'Odd things that have happened to me' list._' Akefia mused as he blinked at the hostility. '_But I think this one takes the cake._'

"Whoo." Heba cooed to Ryou, who knew who to interpret the language.

"I know." Ryou whispered back. "I need someone to take me."

"Whoo, whoo, wah." Heba replied.

"I think he's telling the truth, too." Ryou agreed.

"Wah, whoo." Heba cooed.

"He doesn't have fangs, or want my hair." Ryou muttered, mostly to himself.

If this ruffian didn't want his hair, then Ryou could trust him. Dimly, Ryou heard the man trying to free himself. Bracing himself, Ryou prepared to take the next step in his plan.

"Okay, Thief King Akefia, I'm prepared to offer you a deal." Ryou told him as he started heading towards the fireplace.

"Deal?" Akefia asked in unbelief.

"Look this way." Ryou ordered as he climbed onto the mantel above the fireplace.

But Akefia wasn't able to. He was more concerned about the spinning chair he was tied to due to the direction Ryou had chosen to walk. The hair unraveled from the legs, and he ended up face planting on the floor.

"Do you know what these are?" Ryou asked as he pulled back the red curtain, revealing the mural of the floating lights.

"You mean the lantern thing the kingdom does for the two missing princes'?" Akefia grumbled into the ground, but Ryou understood him.

"Lanterns? I knew they weren't stars." Ryou gasped softly before confidently presenting his deal to Akefia. "Well, tomorrow evening they will light the night sky with these 'lanterns'. You will act as my guide, take me to these lanterns, and return me home safely. Then, and only then, will I return your satchel to you. That is my deal."

"Yeah, no can do." Akefia refused as he grunted and used his hands to flip the chair onto its side. "Unfortunately, the kingdom and I don't exactly see eye to eye at the moment. So I won't be taking you anywhere."

Ryou felt his lip quiver. He was so sure that this would have worked, that he was finally going to see the lanterns. A growl caught his attention, so he peeked over to Heba, who was perched on his shoulder. The little Kuriboh made a fist with one hand, and punched it into the other one. Be strong, was the message. They were _not_ going to stay in this tower another day. Ryou nodded and hopped off the mantel, picking his hair up and drew it closer to him.

"Something brought you here, Thief King Akefia." Ryou growled as his pulling pulled the chair back up on all four of its legs and walked closer, one step at a time. "Call it what you will. Fate, destiny..."

"A horse." Akefia interrupted, recalling he had come into this tower to escape that beast.

"So I have made the decision to trust you." Ryou continued.

"A horrible decision, really." Akefia slipped in as he sighed in boredom.

"But trust me when I tell you this." Ryou snarled in anger, and tugged on his hair so the chair threatened to face plant the thief again, but caught the back of the chair. "You can tear this tower apart brick by brick, but without my help, you will never find your precious satchel."

"Let me just get this straight." Akefia sighed in frustration. "I take you to see the lanterns, bring you back home, and you'll give me back my satchel?"

"I promise." Ryou replied firmly.

Akefia's face fell emotionless. How many times had he heard _that_ one and the person who gave their word actually kept it? Oh yeah, _none_.

"And when I promise something, I never, _ever_ break that promise." Ryou told the stubborn man. "Ever."

Heba nodded from Ryou's shoulder. Akefia looked at the Kuriboh, and then back up to Ryou. He knew he couldn't go back to the kingdom, not now. He was a wanted thief. Time for a strategy change.

"All right, listen." Akefia sighed. "I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice. Here comes the 'smolder'."

Akefia pursed his lips and oh-so-carefully raised one eyebrow. This was the look that all the ladies, and a lot of guys, fell for. It was one of his more handsome expressions, and he knew it. Akefia waited for Ryou to react, but nothing happened.

Ryou had never been with other people before, except for his father, and he never made _this _expression. Because of that, Ryou had no idea what Thief King Akefia was doing, but he looked awfully strange. It was kind of like that crazy look the man had given earlier. Not replying, Ryou and Heba narrowed their eyes at the man.

"This is kind of an off day for me, this doesn't normally happen." Akefia mumbled, finding it hard that his person was not swept off his bare feet by his charms. "Fine! I'll take you to see the lanterns."

"Really?" Ryou exclaimed in excitement, letting go of the chair, which landed on the ground with a thud. "Oops."

"You broke my 'smolder'." Akefia grumbled into the floor.

Ryou winced, but retrieved his frying pan before going to untie his new guide from the chair. Akefia huffed and began to climb down the tower the same was he had come up, using his arrow. He couldn't believe he was leaving this place. Just a short while ago, he thought it would be a great place to hide from that horse!

Halfway down, Akefia glanced back up to see Ryou standing in the widow, pan under his arm in case of any trouble. He hadn't moved and inch.

"Are you coming or what?" Akefia snapped.

Ryou gulped as he arranged his hair to let him down safely. This was it. He was going to see the lights. And he was absolutely terrified. The ground looked so far down, and he had never tried this before. Taking a deep breath, Ryou began to sing softly as he looked around at the big open sky and valley walls.

_Look at the world so close, and I'm halfway to it!_

_Look at it all so big, do I even dare?_

Ryou looked back at his floating lights mural he had painted and stared. He had been drawn to them all his life, and now, if he had the courage, he'd get to see them.

_Look at me, there at last! I just have to do it_

_Should I? No! Here I go..._

Heba appeared on Ryou's shoulder with a small strand of hair in his hand. Tying it around his small furry body, he gave Ryou a thumbs-up for courage. This was his big day! They were finally leaving this boring old tower!

Ryou giggled and felt more confident. He really wished that father had agreed to take him, but knew he would have to do this himself. Tossing his hair out, he began to rappel down the tower, for the first time in his life, passing Akefia. And it was exhilarating.

Just before he reached the ground, Ryou stopped himself. Below him was a carpet of green plants called grass, dotted with some flowers called dandelions. Lowering himself down slowly, first one foot and then the other, touched the soft, cool grass. It tickled and made Ryou laugh. This was the first time he was standing on earth in his life.

Heba untied himself and rolled around his the grass, getting rid of the feel of dusty old tower that nobody likes. Ryou giggled and joined his small Kuriboh friend.

_Just smell the grass! The dirt! Just like I dreamed they'd be!_

_Just feel that summer breeze, the way it's calling me_

_For like the first time ever, I'm completely free!_

Running into the stream by the tower felt wonderful to Ryou. They sky was enormous, sunlight shimmered through the trees, and everything smelled fresh! Outside was great! Some birds flew past and Ryou chased them outside of the tunnel.

_I could go running, and racing, and dancing, and chasing_

_And leaping, and bounding, hair flying, heart pounding_

_And splashing, and reeling, and finally feeling_

_Now's when my life begins!_

"I can't believe I did this!" Ryou giggled as he danced in the sunlight. "I can't believe I did this! I can't believe I did this!"

"Good for you." Akefia grumbled sourly as he came out of the vine hidden tunnel.

"Father would be so furious." Ryou shook himself as he remembered how disappointed father would be if he found out his son had disobeyed him. "That's okay! What he doesn't know won't kill him, right?"

Akefia shrugged as he began to try and lead his new tag along to the kingdom.

Key word: TRY.

"Oh my gosh! This would kill him." Ryou whimpered as they kept going, but quickly changed his mind as he started kicking at piles of leaves. "This is so fun!"

Akefia groaned as Ryou climbed a tree, Heba right behind him. But once they got midway up, Ryou slumped.

"I am a horrible son. I'm going back." Ryou said as he hopped down, but again changed his mind as he rolled down a hill. "I am never going back! Woo-hoo!"

'_I swear, this boy is a girl in disguise._' Akefia thought as he watched Ryou's moods bounce from 'not going back' to 'going back'. '_He definitely has the hair for it._'

"I am a despicable human being." Ryou wailed as Heba tied his hair to a sturdy tree branch and gave the boy's shoulders a push, encouraging him to use his hair as a swing. "Woo-hoo! Best! Day! Ever!"

Ryou and Akefia continued traveling for a while, and then Ryou remembered Pegasus. He collapsed against a nearby bolder and sobbed. What was he doing? How could he betray his father's trust like this? Heba watched from nearby as Akefia came over.

"You know, I can't help but notice you seem a little at war with yourself here." Akefia said gently.

"What?" Ryou sniffed as he wiped his eyes.

Akefia moved closer, trying to seem gentle. He had an idea. He would play on Ryou's guilt and force him back to the tower. Once there, he could retrieve his satchel, and the crowns, and go on with his life.

"Now I'm only picking up bits and pieces." Akefia continued softly in a sugary-sweet voice as he stood back up. "Overprotective father, forbidden road trip. I mean, this is serious stuff. But let me ease your conscience. This is part of growing up. A little rebellion, a little adventure, that's good. Healthy even!"

"You think?" Ryou perked up a little.

"I know. You're way over-thinking this, trust me." Akefia replied confidently, barley containing a smirk. "Does your father deserve it? No. Would this break his heart and crush his soul? Of course. But you just got to do it."

"'Break his heart?'" Ryou asked with a gasp.

"In half." Akefia replied as he picked a grape from a nearby vine.

"'Crush his soul?'" Ryou repeated as he started to curl up like a baby.

"Like a grape." Akefia nodded as he smashed the grape between his fingers.

"He would be heartbroken." Ryou concluded as Akefia helped him back onto his feet. "You're right."

"I am, aren't I? Oh bother." Akefia tried to look as distressed as the boy next to him, holding back snickers at how gullible the boy was. "All right. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm letting you out of the deal."

"What?" Ryou asked.

"That's right, but don't thank me. Let's just turn around and get you home." Akefia said as he picked up Ryou's pan and Heba, giving them to him as he started to lead him back to the tower. "Here's your pan and your fur ball. I get back my satchel, you get back a father-son relationship based on mutual trust, and _voilà_! We part ways as unlikely friends."

Ryou knew he probably should go back to the tower and Pegasus, but he liked it outside. No one had tried to hurt him. Maybe father had just been wrong about some things. A soft growl made Ryou look to his shoulder.

Heba was glaring at the thief; he didn't want to go back. He had waited too long to leave that tower, and he wasn't about to give up his freedom because of the petty man's desires. Ryou understood what his friend was upset about and pushed Akefia away.

"No!" Ryou snapped firmly. "I am seeing those lanterns."

"Oh come on!" Akefia dropped the niceness and spat in anger. "What is it going to take for me to get my satchel back?"

"I will use this." Ryou growled as he held up his frying pan again.

Akefia stepped back, wide eyes staring at the cast iron. He had no desire to get wacked again. A twig napped and some bushes nearby began rustling, making all of them turn.

"Is it ruffians?" Ryou gasped as he leapt onto Akefia's back for protection, frying pan outstretched. "Thugs? Have they come for me?"

The bushes rustled some more, before a small human-like figure tumbled out. Standing, it probably only came to around Ryou's mid-calf. But what was different about this small human, was it had wings on its back, one angel and one bat-like, and was half white, half purple black.

It was a Change of Heart.

Heba hoped off Ryou's shoulder once he had seen what the 'danger' was. No danger at all. The two started playing together as Ryou watched, still perched on Akefia's back.

"Stay calm." Akefia advised in a flat tone. "It can probably smell fear."

"Oh, sorry." Ryou giggled as he climbed off. "Guess I'm just a little bit jumpy."

"It probably would be best if we avoided ruffians and thugs, though." Akefia commented as he straightened out his red robe.

"Yeah, that'd probably be best." Ryou agreed as he chuckled self-consciously.

Suddenly, and idea came to Akefia. He was so enthralled by it, he didn't even noticed when Heba and the Change of Heart rolled over his feet. This would definitely scare Ryou back to his tower, where he could get his satchel, and the crowns, before going on his merry way.

"Are you hungry?" Akefia asked with a devious smile. "I know a great place for lunch."

"Where?" Ryou asked as his stomach gave a small rumble.

"Oh don't you worry." Akefia grinned as he picked up Heba, and the Change of Heart, and handed them to Ryou. "You'll know it when you smell it."

Ryou hummed with a soft smile and looked at the two new friends in his arms. Amane, the Change of Heart had been startled when she had been suddenly picked up and dumped into this human's arms, but Heba had assured her it was alright and Ryou was a nice person. So she settled down and caught comfortable for the new journey ahead of her.

* * *

_Three years ago, Egypt_

* * *

Heba was a trembling mess. Standing in front of him was the most powerful man in all of Egypt. He wanted to bow the instant the pharaoh had entered Atemu's room, but the prince's arms around his waist prevented that.

"Saved your life?" Aknankanon repeated. "How?"

"Remember two years ago when I was out riding along the Nile, with the escort, and got shot?" Atemu asked.

"You fell into the river." Aknankanon nodded. "This boy saved you?"

"Yes he did." Atemu replied.

"But how?" Aknankanon asked, looking directly at Heba, who still felt tongue tied. "It's all right. You can speak freely."

"I have… magical… hair." Heba mumbled. "It heals."

"Your hair heals?" Aknankanon clarified.

Heba nodded. He was really scared out of his wits. What if the pharaoh decided to sell him and make a profit? Atemu couldn't tell his own father no, could he? He was the most powerful man in the land.

"I'm not sure what to make of that, but I do owe you my gratitude." Aknankanon said to the scared boy gently.

He hadn't missed the trembling the golden haired boy his son was holding was showing. It was understandable, really. The pharaoh did have a pretty intimidating track record when it came to dealing with criminals and thieves. If he could get Heba to calm down, maybe they could have a decent conversation.

"Have you any family?" Aknankanon asked.

"None to my knowledge." Heba replied, confused as to why the pharaoh wanted to know that. "I lived with one woman my whole life until three years ago, and she wasn't my mother."

"You're a runaway slave?" Aknankanon asked.

"Yes." Heba nodded, looking at his feet.

Atemu's grip tightened around Heba. Slaves were treated very poorly, unfortunately. If the woman who had owned him three years ago staked a claim, she could take Heba back. And it could happen sooner if his father went in search of the woman.

* * *

As it turned out, Aknankanon didn't go searching for the woman who had owned him. Instead, he offered Heba a job in the palace, which the teen readily accepted. But finding a job he could do was hard. Kitchen was out of the question, with his long hair and all, stables weren't a good idea for the same reason, and other servants/slaves tried to trip him up when he tried to help clean the palace. Turns out the palace servant life wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

"What was I thinking?" Heba groaned in his 'room' later.

Not much of a room. It was a small place he could barely stretch out in, and was expected to share with three other people who didn't like him. It was dark, it stunk, and he'd been shoved into the back corner to sleep on his first night four weeks ago.

And he hadn't seen Atemu since he had been brought here. If he was lucky, maybe a glimpse at the end of the hallway every few days, but that was about it. Heba was starting to feel that all the prince had wanted was another slave in the palace.

Not able to stand that thought, Heba left his room. Walking around, and seeing new areas of the palace, was a good way to take his mind off of things. And meet new people. Heba really liked Atemu's friends Mana and Joey, and several of the High Priests', namely Mahad and Isis. Shada and Karim were okay, but Seth and Aknadin, Atemu's cousin and uncle, just flat out gave him the creeps.

Wandering around, Heba found himself by a slightly opened door. During the brief tour that Atemu had given him on his second day, Atemu told him to come here if he ever needed some time alone or just felt overwhelmed. Now seemed to fit the bill.

Entering, Heba shut the door behind him. Looking around, Heba realized he was in some sort of garden, probably a private one. But it was beautiful. Walking around, and letting his braids drag behind him for the first time in weeks, Heba relished the beauty and stillness.

"Heba?" Atemu spoke from the spot where he had been sitting under a tall tree.

"Atemu!" Heba jumped and placed a hand over his heart as he tried to calm his breathing. "You startled me."

"I'm sorry." Atemu apologized as he stood up and walked over, stopping a couple feet from the teen with long hair. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Heba said shortly with a nod.

"You're lying." Atemu sighed after a few seconds. "You don't feel comfortable here and miss our time alone next to the Nile."

Heba gulped as his eyes widened. How had Atemu known? Was he really that easy to read? Heba stepped back as he slowly shook his head.

"Don't lie to me Heba, please." Atemu pleaded as he quickly followed and pulled the teen into a hug. "I don't like seeing you unhappy. Is there anything that I can do to make things better? Anything at all."

Heba didn't reply. Instead, he started crying as he wrapped his arms around the older teen. Yes, he had missed Atemu, he missed him very much. Four weeks of no contact had taken a toll on poor Heba, especially when he only had two other people he could consider friends besides the prince, but both were very busy with their own tasks/chores.

"I want to spend more time with you." Heba whimpered after he managed to get himself under control. "Anyway possible, please. I'll do anything."

Atemu tightened his hold on Heba. He really hadn't meant to ignore Heba, that was the last thing he wanted to do. But Princess Vivian, who had been visiting for the past four weeks, had insisted on spending ever available moment with him, and made the lives of anyone else who tried to talk to him miserable. So he had started coming to the private gardens in the evening to avoid her, and hope that Heba would come there as well.

"I want that to." Atemu replied as he held Heba tightly, relishing the feel of him fitting perfectly under his chin. "But the visiting princess makes the lives of anyone who comes near me a living hell. I don't want that for you."

"I'll risk it." Heba pleaded as he leaned his head back to look into Atemu's eyes. "Please Atemu, please."

"Okay." Atemu nodded. "I'll ask father to make you my personal servant. Vivian won't be able to hurt you physically, but she can speak to you harshly and degrade you emotions."

"I'll live." Heba sighed. "Can't be much worse than the other lady I lived with."

"What was her name anyway?" Atemu asked with a frown.

"Anzu, I think." Heba frowned slightly. "I didn't really care at the time. And she insisted I call her master or mistress."

"Well, now that I've claimed you as _my servant_, she can't touch you." Atemu smiled as his head slowly dipped.

Heba smiled back as his head tipped back slightly more as he leaned in closer. Both males looked at each other and leaned closer.

Atemu could smell Heba. The vanilla sugar and rose scent smelled nice. He gently brushed his lips against Heba's, mindful that it was the boy's first kiss. They were soft and smooth, just like how the boy's skin felt against Atemu's fingers.

Heba eagerly responded, thrilled they were actually kissing. Breathing heavily through his nose, Heba smelled a blend of cinnamon and myrrh. It was a wonderful combination that was uniquely Atemu.

When they pulled away, they both smiled, and kissed again. This time, Heba wrapped his arms around Atemu's neck to deepen the kiss. Nothing else mattered except each other.

Atemu hummed and ran his tongue over Heba's lips. Heba gasped, but let the foreign muscle into his mouth. After a few experimentive strokes along the sides and roof of Heba's mouth, Atemu turned his attention to Heba's tongue. Said tongue leapt to life and rubbed its playmate back. When air became an issue, they pulled apart, panting for breath.

"How long Heba?" Atemu murmered. "How long have you had feelings for me?"

"After we truly met for the first time." Heba sighed as he leaned into Atemu's embrace. "And you?"

"Probably ever since I first looked into your eyes." Atemu replied as he inhaled Heba's scent. "Immediately after the rescue."

"Love at first sight?" Heba giggled.

"Of course." Atemu replied as he pulled Heba into another kiss.

And for that moment, everything was perfect.

* * *

**MMMG:** Aw! That was so cute!

**Ryou:** Me knocking out Akefia or Atemu and Heba kissing?

**MMMG:** Both!

**Malik:** Please review! Favorite part of the chapter, least favorite part of the chapter, spelling/grammar mistakes, etc.


	6. Chapter 6: I've got a Dream

**MMMG:** I'm back with chapter 6!

**Atemu****:** What took so long? Everyone's been waiting for 3 weeks!

**Yugi:** Her mom had a baby.

**MMMG:** That means waking up at all hours of the night as the adorable little guy cries for mommy. Not much time for typing.

**Joey:** We'll live. MMMG does not own Yugioh, Disney's 'Tangled', or Disney's 'Tangled Junior Novellization'.

**Seto:** -monotone as he types on his laptop- Enjoy the chapter.

**MMMG:** Would it kill you to put that thing down?

**Seto:** That's rich considering you're typing this story on a laptop.

**MMMG:** Point.

* * *

_Wordsorcereress: Hey girl, saw in your last update your computer was glitching. Hope that gets fixed soon. You're not ill from me making you laugh last chapter are you? Easy with that flame thrower, you can use it after you see what Vivian does in this chapter. And careful where you let the angry fangirls loose, Atemu needs his alone time with Yugi at the end of the chapter._

_BakaEmily: Glad you're liking the story._

_Killer-Fangirl: Lots of people loved that part. _

_Equality4Puppies: Yikes, I'm killing people with all of the laughter. But glad you like it._

_BabyNinetails: -Snickers- I had a hard time typing that I was giggling so hard. Vivian won't kill anybody, but you can have a turn with her at the end of the chapter once Wordsorcereress is done. _

_anonimous: No, he doens't find out before Ryou, those events are happening before the start of the story when Ryou and Yugi/Heba are 18. When it say 'Egypt, Three years ago', it means that Heba was 15 when this even occcured. And you'll see._

_Animesaki: Yes, Marik did find last chapter very funny. (Marik: You know it! Still LHFAO.) Oh dear, fangirl goo. -sprinkles 'Fangirls Get Yourselves Together' Powder over her- There you go. You can have a go at Vivian with that snipper of yours after Wordsorcereress and BabyNinetails. _

_LuvlyLadyLexi: Soon. Ryou will be the movie version, and I'm not sure about Heba yet. _

* * *

Chapter 6: I've got a Dream

* * *

In another part of the forest, Zafiro was still eagerly searching for Akefia. He sniffed the air, trying to pick up the scoundrel's scent, and looked for any footprints left by the light-footed thief, who barely made and imprint in the soil.

Coming up to a tree with wanted posters on it, Zafiro glared at one that had a badly drawn right eye and scar that looked wrinkled and old. But it was him, the Thief King Akefia. In a frenzy, Zafiro ripped the poster from the tree with his teeth and shredded it into tiny bits.

Zafiro was furious about losing that thief, and felt nothing but disdain for the cocky man that had evaded him. The horse was not used to failing a chase, and he was definitely not going to fail this one.

Zafiro knew that he was considered the best horse in the royal guard. He helped his humans capture criminals, win promotions, rewards, and bonuses. And all he asked for in return was a warm stable, some hay, and some oats at the end of each day. And maybe a carrot or apple.

But this was different. When it came to this conniving, disrespectful thief, Zafiro had reached his limit. He wanted to apprehend the Thief King himself!

A twig snapped nearby and Zafiro's ears perked up. The bushes rustled as someone approached. Quickly, Zafiro hid behind a rock, pulling down a branch whose leaves were oddly horse head shaped, making it look like a horse was standing there. A figure, dark and shadowy approached, and once it got close enough, Zafiro leapt out of hiding to confront the thief with a loud bellow.

But it wasn't Thief King Akefia Zafiro had found. He was face to face with Pegasus, who gasped in shock while taking a step back. Zafiro snorted in frustration as he drooped. Darn it! Who was _this _man?

"A palace horse." Pegasus mumbled as he got over his shock, noticing the kingdom's emblem on the saddle before another thought occurred to him. "Where's your rider?"

The palace guards rarely came around this area of the forest. The last time there _were _here was when…

"Ryou." Pegasus gasped as fear began to grasp him and ran back to the tower, leaving an extremely confused Zafiro, and the basket of food Ryou had packed for him, behind. "Ryou!"

There was no other explanation. The horse's rider must have been searching for Ryou. That was the only reason for any palace guard to be in this part of the forest. What if the guard had found the hidden entrance to the valley and left his mount outside? So many thoughts and questions swirled in his head as Pegasus finally reached the base of the tower.

"Ryou!" Pegasus called up. "Let down your hair!"

But no one answered. There was no response from the now cliff-shaded tower. Panic built higher in Pegasus. For the first time in a long time, he was starting to feel afraid.

"Ryou?" Pegasus called again, thinking maybe his son hadn't heard him the first time.

Still no reply. Pegasus ran to the back of the tower, to where a door was hidden by vines. Long ago, Pegasus had used this entrance, but stopped once Ryou's hair had grown long enough to use as a way to enter and exit the tower, and closed it off stones and mortar. Now he ripped the greenery off and pried away the bricks with his bare hands until he could get through the door behind the wall he had built.

Climbing a secret staircase, Pegasus pushed the floor slab out of the way and burst out in a panic. He looked around the dark tower. It was empty, just as he feared.

"Ryou?" Pegasus gasped as he ran up to the boy's bed chambers.

The silver hair man pulled back the covers to find nothing but pillows. Ransacking the tower, Pegasus searched franticly. He couldn't believe that Ryou would leave. He had raised the boy, and in turn Ryou believed everything he told him. Had all that work nurturing the child with the magic hair been for naught?

"Ryou!" Pegasus called desperately as he searched the last hiding places that could still accommodate Ryou.

Panting heavily, Pegasus ran his hands threw his hair as a glint caught his eye. It came from under the stairs. Knowing that it hadn't been there before, Pegasus pulled the loose stair up, and spotted the satchel inside. Pulling it out, he looked inside and pulled out the item the glinted.

Gasping in horror, the crown fell from Pegasus' hands. He knew that crown, and the other one in the bag. They were the crowns of the lost princes'.

Looking inside the bag for another clue, any clue, Pegasus found the wanted poster of the Thief King Akefia. He had heard rumors of the thief, and none were good. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Pegasus formulated a plan. He went into his room and opened the drawer of his bedside table. Inside, a dagger that he kept for emergencies, like this one.

Pegasus didn't know if Ryou had been kidnapped or left of his own free will, but he would get the child back. Tucking the dagger into a sheath on his belt, Pegasus grabbed the satchel, the crowns, and quickly left the empty tower.

* * *

"I know it's around here somewhere." Akefia said as he and Ryou walked down a path, looking for a place to have lunch. "Ah, there it is! The Snuggly Duckling."

The little tavern looked interesting to Ryou. The crooked old wooden building was tucked into the base of a large tree, as if the building and tree had grown together and the tree determined which way they would grow. Outside of the tavern were some horses. Ryou wasn't too frightened of them, but he did wonder why they were tied to a fence.

"Don't worry; it's a very quaint place. Perfect for you." Akefia said, determined to terrify Ryou back to the tower so he could retrieve his crowns and go on his way. "Don't want you scaring and giving up on this whole endeavor, now do we?"

"Well, I do like ducklings." Ryou replied, trying to be positive as he worried about the possibility of finding ruffians inside.

"Who doesn't?" Akefia replied with a grin. "I'm buying. And by buying, I mean stealing. And by stealing, I mean taking things unlawfully."

Akefia could barely contain his cackles. This boy was so naïve. But the Kuriboh and Change of Heart on the boy's shoulders were glaring at him. They knew what he was talking about, but really couldn't do anything to stop it.

"Dartz, your finest table, please!" Akefia called as he banged the pub door open.

Ryou's eyes widened and he gasped. Inside were a large group of terrifying, brutish men. The ruffians were battle-scared, wore armor that had been pierced by arrows, and carried axes, spears, or swords. It also looked like, and smelled like, not a single one of them had bathed.

"You smell that?" Akefia asked as he forced Ryou inside by the shoulders. "Take a deep breath through the nose and really let that seep in."

Ryou walked stiffly through the room, not noticing that Heba had climbed off his shoulder and hopped over to a cloaked man at a corner table. He was more focused on keeping his frying pan in front of him in case if one of the ruffians tried something. But there were so many of them…

"What are you getting?" Akefia asked evilly. "Because to me, that's part man-smell and the other part is _really_ bad man-smell."

Ryou didn't reply since he was eyeing what the cook was making. Not to eat. Inside the pot, and sticking out, were angel and demon wings. That made Ryou think it was Change of Heart soup being made. The thought was confirmed when Amane hid in his hair.

"I don't know why, but overall it just smells like the color brown." Akefia prattled on, aware of every gasp of fear Ryou gave. "Your thoughts?"

Ryou yelped in pain as someone grabbed his hair. Tugging it, Ryou moved away as fast as he could, gathering his silver strands in his arms as he moved.

"That's a lot of hair." the thug who had grabbed Ryou's hair said.

"He's growing it out." Akefia explained with a grin. "Is that blood in your moustache? Silver, look at this. Look at all the blood in his moustache. Good sir, that's a lot of blood."

Ryou didn't care about the blood in someone's moustache. All he cared about was getting out of this place, before one of the ruffians figured out that his hair was worth 'a lot of money', as father put it. And they would do anything to get at it.

"Hey, you don't look so good, Silver." Akefia feigned concern as he walked over to the white-as-a-ghost Ryou. "Maybe we should get you a home, call it a day."

"Okay." Ryou nodded weakly, his pan still getting pointed at each thug in the tavern.

"You'd probably be better off. This is a five star joint after all." Akefia shrugged, thrilled that his plan was working as he guided Ryou towards the door. "And if you can't handle this place, then maybe you should be back in your tower."

The pub door was slammed shut by a huge man that went by the name of Ushio. Ryou gasped at the size of the male, obviously the biggest in the tavern. The hand that had slammed the door shut also had a WANTED poster pinned to the door.

"Is this you?" Ushio asked threateningly.

Akefia didn't reply. He was in a room full of ruffians and thugs, and his experience with them was that they didn't show much mercy when a reward was involved. He knew this was even truer as all eyes were either on the reward mentioned on the poster, or on him as he moved one of Ushio's fingers on poster aside. His right eye was bulging out of his socket, and looked like a book character he had heard someone reading about called 'Mad-Eye Moody'.

'_Now they're just being mean_.' Akefia growled in anger, ready to find the people in the kingdom that drew up the wanted poster and give them an 'art lesson'.

"It's him all right." Mako, a black haired fisherman laughed as he approached with his fishing spears and poles, nodding to a companion as he went. "Bonz, go find some guards! That reward's going to buy me a new hook."

"I could use the money." Dartz, the owner and bartender of the Snuggly Ducking, added as he leapt over the counter and stalked over.

"What about me?" Ushio growled as he placed his hands on Akefia's neck and wrists. "I'm broke. Get back! Mine!"

A brawl quickly ensued, with bottles crashing and chairs flying. Everyone was pulling at Akefia, who was none too happy about the situation.

"Ruffians, stop!" Ryou called, but wasn't heard over the clamor.

"Get your hands off me!" Akefia demanded as he struggled to get loose.

But the pile of filthy men replied in grunts, shouts, and growls. Not one of them heard since they were each intent on getting the reward for themselves.

"Hey, leave him alone!" Ryou pleaded as he tried to reach Akefia through the mob.

"I said to let me go!" Akefia snapped as one of his arms was twisted behind his back and one of his knees was rammed harshly into a table.

"Give me back my guide!" Ryou shouted as he began to hit the thugs' backs with his frying pan, but not one of them noticed since all of them had some form of shielding or armor on. "Ruffians!"

Nothing happened. Akefia was starting to get overwhelmed, and his frying pan didn't seem to work very well against multiples. Looking around, Ryou saw a large table with a giant pot hanging from the ceiling over it, and jumped up onto it.

_CLANG!_

Ryou hit his frying pan against the pot as hard as he could. For a moment, there was absolute silence.

"PUT HIM DOWN!" Ryou yelled at the top of his lungs, feeling angry that the ruffians were trying to take _his_ guide away.

Every thug and ruffian had stopped what they were doing and were looking at the young man, their eyes wide and jaws dropped. Some of the ruffians had angry expressions, but most were flabbergasted.

"Okay, I don't know where I am, and I need him to take me to see the lanterns because I've been dreaming about them my entire life!" Ryou began to plead with the rabid mob. "Find your humanity! Haven't any of you ever had a dream?"

Akefia practically groaned. A dream? Did this boy really want to talk about dreams with _this _crowd? This wasn't going to end well. And sure enough, as Akefia got a rope tied under his arms and was hung up on the wall, Mako moved towards Ryou threateningly, his sharpened fishing spear in hand. Ryou froze and nearly fell off the table once the man got close to him.

"I had a dream once." Mako whispered softly.

Throwing his spear, he trimmed the hair off of a scared teen that had an iron ball shackled to his ankle. Said teen began to nervously play the accordion while Mako began to sing.

Mako: _I'm malicious, mean and scary_

_My sneer could curdle dairy_

_And violence-wise, my hands are not the cleanest_

_But despite my evil look_

_And my temper and my hooks_

_I've always yearned to be a concert pianist_

Setting his fishing poles, spears, and large hooks aside, Mako sat down at a piano that was on a stage and began to play a rousing tune.

_Can't cha see me on the stage performing Mozart?_

_Tickling the ivories 'til they gleam?_

_Yep, I'd rather be called deadly_

_For my killer show-tune medley_

Thank you!_ -'Cause way down deep inside I've got a dream_

Ryou grinned as he watched, the men in the tavern bobbing to the beat and singing along. Akefia, however, felt that this was one of the dumbest things he had ever watched.

Thugs: _He's got a dream! He's got a dream!_

Mako: _See, I ain't as cruel and vicious as I seem!_

_Though I do like breaking femurs, _

_You can count me with the dreamers_

_Like everybody else, I've got a dream!_

As the men hummed in harmony inside, outside, a man with silver hair approached the tavern. Pegasus often came there late at night for information on the kingdom, thieves, and all sorts of info. If Ryou had been through here with that Thief King, someone would know.

Back inside, a man with lavender colored eyes and spiky white-blond hair that reminded Ryou of a picture of a porcupine, and tanned skin with lots of scarred scratches on his face came up next to Ryou. Marik grinned a bit insanely as he began to sing the next verse.

Marik: _I've got scars and lumps and bruises_

_Plus something here that oozes_

_And go ahead, just mention my complexion_

Marik was more than willing to show off his scares and other body figures that, admittedly, made him look handsome, but scary at the same time.

_But despite my scratched up face,_

_Which never gets me past first base,_

_I really want to make a love connection_

Marik hopped into a boat, dragging a drunken old man, named Bob, with him. As he acted out the next part, Bob was very compliant with playing the part of a lady.

_Can't you see me with a special little someone_

_Rowing in a rowboat down the stream?_

_Though I'm one disgusting blighter_

_I'm a lover _and _a fighter_

_'Cause way down deep inside I've got a dream!_

Hoisting Bob up into a harness, Marik gave him a bow and arrow to be cupid. Weird idea, but in this tavern, it was fairly normal.

_I've got a dream!_

Thugs: _He's got a dream!_

Marik: _I've got a dream!_

Thugs: _He's got a dream!_

Marik: _And I know one day I'll find someone to love with me!_

Akefia watched with a frown, but was finding he was becoming more interested in the silver haired teen he had brought to the tavern. What was up with this young man, anyway?

_Though my face leaves people screaming_

_There's a child behind it dreaming_

_Like everybody else, I've got a dream_

Ryou wandered about the tavern as all of the ruffians showed him what their dreams were, which ranged anything from sewing, to cooking, to decorating. Everyone seemed to adore Ryou! And all the while, Amane protectively sat on Ryou's shoulder, since Heba was still with the cloaked man at the corner table, a change running through his body.

Thugs: _Rex would like to quit and be a florist_

_Weevil does interior design_

_Strings is into mime, Dartz's cupcakes are sublime_

_Luna knits, Umbra sews, Panik does little puppet shows_

Mako: _And Ushio collects ceramic unicorns_

"What about you?" Mako asked Akefia suddenly.

"I'm sorry, me?" Akefia asked as he was brought out of his musings of Ryou.

"What's your dream?" Marik asked as he cut the rope holding Akefia to the wall.

"No, no, no, sorry boys." Akefia crossed his arms with a scowl. "I don't sing."

Sword points were suddenly in his eyes, and Akefia growled as he figured he'd better cooperate if he wanted to get out of there alive. Hopping onto the countertop, Akefia grudgingly began to sing.

Akefia: _I have dreams, like you, no, really_

_Just much less touchy-feely_

_They mainly happen somewhere warm and sunny_

Hoping his answer would be enough, and borrowing one of Ushio's ceramic unicorns, Akefia told his dream of living on his own island with enough cash for life.

_On an island that I own, tanned and rested and alone_

_Surrounded by enormous piles of money_

The thugs roared in approval and tossed Akefia up in the air. The thief landed right side up in time to see Ryou hopped back up onto a table with his hand raised.

Ryou: _I've got a dream!_

Thugs: _He's got a dream!_

Ryou: _I've got a dream!_

Thugs: _He's got a dream!_

Ryou: _I just want to see the floating lanterns gleam!_

Thugs: _Yeah!_

Pegasus peeked through one of the windows to see Ryou happily mingling with all of the ruffians and thugs, and felt his world crumbling around him. Without Ryou's magic hair, his life would come to an abrupt end as he quickly aged. He had to do something to stop the naïve boy.

Ryou: _And with every passing hour_

_I'm so glad I left my tower_

_Like all you lovely folks, I've got a dream_

Thugs: _You've got a dream! He's got a dream!_

_They've got a dream! We've got a dream!_

_So our differences ain't really that extreme_

_We're one big team!_

Akefia and the cloaked man at the corner were pulled from their places and thrown into the air by Ushio stomping on a couple of boards. The cloaked man landed on his feet on a table, while Akefia landed feet first on a barrel of beer that was pushed out into the now torch throwing crowd.

Mako: _Call us brutal, sick, sadistic_

Marik: _And grotesquely optimistic_

Thugs: _'Cause way down deep inside we've got a dream!_

Mako: _I've got a dream!_

Marik: _I've got a dream!_

Thugs: _I've got a dream! I've got a dream! I've got a dream!_

Ryou: _I've got a dream!_

Stings: _Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!_

Akefia ducked the chairs getting tossed and beer being poured all over the place. It was really starting to get crazy in there, but not crazy enough for him to notice two things. One, Ryou was completely safe, and probably would remain so as long as he was with any of the thugs.

Second was that the cloaked man who had been flung into the air with him earlier now had an amethyst eyed teen with _70 ft. long _golden hair next to him. Said teen was dressed in some fancy Egyptian clothes, like a royal or a noble, and was singing along with everyone else as the cloaked man lifted him onto his shoulder while Ryou was helped back onto a table.

All: _Yes way down deep inside, I've got a dream!_

Yeah!

Everyone cheered and started talking at the same time. The amethyst eyed boy had accidently slipped off the cloaked man's shoulder at the cheer, and into a cradle hold. The movement tugged the hood enough to show that his holder had crimson eyes.

"I found the guards." Bonz yelled as he raced back inside the tavern with a triumphant look in his eye.

Everyone fell silent. Akefia quickly pulled Ryou, with Amane still on his shoulder, off the table and under the countertop of the bar as a group of angry palace guards burst into the Snuggly Duckling.

"Where's Akefia? Where is he?" Raphael demanded as he shoved Bonz out of the way and into a nearby table. "I know he's in here somewhere. Find him. Turn the place upside down if you have to!"

Akefia peeked over the top of the counter briefly to sees his former accomplices, Pandora and Arkana, brought in by the guards, their hands in shackles. They also were looking around for him, their placement blocking the door. Ducking back down, Akefia felt his heart sink. There was no way they were going to get out of this, not without a few injuries.

A fishing spear tapped Akefia's chest, and he glanced up to see Mako standing behind the counter with the crimson eyed and amethyst eyed teen. Mako's eyes flicked to the floor as the crimson eyed teen pulled a lever on the counter top. A hole in the floor opened, leading to a secret tunnel.

"Go, live your dream." Mako encouraged as the cloaked man and his friend slipped into the tunnel with a lit lantern.

"I will." Akefia nodded, pleased with the turn of events, save for their new travel companions who were coming without an invite.

"Your dream stinks." Mako replied bluntly as he touched Ryou's shoulder. "I was talking to him."

Akefia glared before he followed the two in the tunnel.

"Thanks for everything." Ryou smiled and touched the hand on his shoulder.

Mako nodded and waited until they were safely inside before closing the door.

"I believe this is the man you're looking for." Ushio, who was holding a poster of Akefia, held up Bob with a grin.

"You got me." Bob slurred drunkenly as he offered his wrists for cuffing.

"Captain, there's no sign of the Thief King." Duke said as he came down from upstairs.

A loud neigh from outside caught the attention of everyone in the pub. Zafiro opened the pub door with a bang, and panted from his long search.

"Zafiro." Raphael exhaled at the sight of the horse.

Zafiro clomped into the tavern, still following Akefia's scent. When blocked by thugs, a few snaps of his teeth sent them scrambling.

"What's he doing?" Tristan asked as he watched in confusion.

Raphael slapped a hand over Tristan's mouth as he watched the horse move over to the counter of the bar. Zafiro whinnied and he nodded at the levers on the counter. Raphael frowned, trying to understand what Zafiro was trying to tell him. Zafiro snorted in frustration and pushed one of the levers down, revealing the hidden tunnel.

"A passage. C'mon men, let's go!" Raphael moved next to the horse has they slipped into the passage. "Valon, make sure those boys don't get away!"

"Yes sir." Valon replied as he trained his spear onto Arkana and Pandora while the other guards disappeared into the passage.

With a quick movement, Pandora knocked Valon into a table, knocking him out before he picked up his spear.

"Play it safe…" Arkana weighed their options as they used the spear to get their shackles off. "Or go get the crown."

"Not much of a decision." Pandora replied as they silently went into the tunnel.

Outside, still spying by his window, Pegasus watched patiently. He was angry that Ryou had left, yes, but he needed to formulate his energy to make a plan to get Ryou back. Shortly following, Bob stumbled outside with slurred singing.

"I got a dream, I got some dream, I..." Bob stopped short when he noticed Pegasus. "Oooh, somebody get me a glass, coz I just found me a tall drink of water."

"Oh, stop it you big lug." Pegasus laughed flirtatiously as his knife found a home on the drunk's throat. "Where's that tunnel led out?"

"Knife!" Bob whimpered as his mind registered that he was in big trouble now.

* * *

_Egypt, Two years ago_

* * *

Heba yawned and stretched as he woke up. A pair of arms tightened around his waist, and Heba found himself grinning. Atemu was a cuddler, though you would never hear him admit it out loud.

As it turned out, Princess Vivian through a fit once she found out that Heba had been made 'her Atemu's' personal servant, and demanded he be taken to the dungeons and whipped. That had been the last straw of Pharaoh Aknankanon's patience, and Vivian had been confined to her room for the remainder of her stay.

Five months had flown by quickly after her stay. At the end of those five months, Atemu had proposed to Heba, and they married two months later. The council was in an uproar when they found out the prince was into males, but quieted after Atemu promised to marry a girl to carry on the family name. So far he had yet to find one.

"Atemu, wake up." Heba whispered into Atemu's ear and gave him a quick kiss.

"Alright Heba." Atemu sighed as he sleepily rubbed his eyes and smiled at his husband. "Good morning love."

"Morning." Heba smiled back. "Time to get shaking. Vivian's coming back today."

"Oh joy." Atemu groaned. "When I find out who invited her back here, they are going to the Shadow Realm. I am going to marry a girl to provide and heir, but not her."

"I think the council invited her, and no, you can't send them to the Shadow Realm until you find their replacements." Heba couldn't stop the giggles at Atemu's expressions.

"You think this is funny?" Atemu questioned with a gleam in his eyes.

"Uh-oh." Heba muttered and attempted to leap out of bed.

Turns out, having long hair could be a bit of a curse as well. Especially if it lead to your husband tickling you.

* * *

"Atemu!" Vivian squealed the instant she saw the Egyptian Prince, and attempted to launch herself into his arms.

"That's _Prince_." Atemu snarled as Seth stepped in her path.

"But I'm going to marry you." Vivian pouted. "I deserve to call you by your name."

"No chance in hell is that ever going to happen." Joey muttered to Heba, who quickly nodded in agreement.

"Princess Vivian, you will control yourself while you are here." Aknankanon ordered. "You may be our guest, but you are still a royal and are excepted to _act like it_!"

Vivian fell silent, but her eyes soon landed on Heba and Joey.

"What's that slave doing here?" Vivian sneered, her eyes on Heba.

"Watch what you say about my husband!" Atemu snapped in anger. "I will not tolerate such remarks about him!"

"Husband?" Vivian's eye grew wide in outrage. "No! You're mine! Mine!"

"Fat, f*cking, chance!" Atemu shouted back.

He had held his tongue whenever Vivian had visited in the past, but she had pushed the prince to far this time. No one insulted his love and got away with it. A few of the greedy guards had learned their lesson the hard way, and word quickly spread throughout the palace to leave Heba alone.

"Atemu, control yourself!" Aknankanon roared. "Princess Vivian, you will be confined to your room for your _entire _stay and given only two meals a day. The same as the slaves."

"What?" Vivian screeched in disbelief.

"Get her out of my sight." Aknankanon snapped.

If there was one thing he didn't like, it was people insulting his son in law. Heba was the most gentle person he had met, and had been through much in his life. His magical hair had saved the pharaoh from an assassination attempt via poison several months ago, Heba insisting he was only doing his family duty.

* * *

The time passed quick enough, although you could hear Vivian screaming from her rooms several times a day. The day the princess left, she was quiet and sullen. Glaring back over her shoulder, she threw a ball of magic that struck Heba in the chest. In a bright flash of light, he was gone.

"Heba!" Atemu yelled in horror before slamming Vivian against the wall. "Where is he?! Where is my Heba!?"

"Gone!" Vivian laughed with an insane look in her eyes. "In a faraway country to the east where you'll never find him! He's not even human anymore! And he can't look for you! He'll will be bound to severe the first human that touches him!"

"Mark my words; you will regret messing with my husband." Atemu snarled in anger and threw her to several guards. "Take her to the dungeon and send a message to her father."

"Yes my prince." Timaeus replied as he, Critias, and Hermos dragged the screaming princess away.

"Heba, I vow to you that I will find you and get you back." Atemu promised as he looked to the east, the land where they had never explored.

* * *

/Ow./ Heba moaned when he woke up.

His head hurt like crazy and his body felt like he had gotten dragged behind a chariot.

It was then that Heba noticed his hands. They weren't human anymore. They were yellow and had three toes on each of them. Walking, or more like bouncing, to a nearby stream, Heba screamed when he saw his reflection. He was a Kuriboh. But not a brown one, no, he was a golden one, just like his hair color.

/Stranger!/ another Kuriboh, a brown one called out, making Heba jump in fear.

/Can you help me?/ Heba asked.

/Stranger!/ the Kuriboh called again, and this time, several larger Kuribohs bounded out of the trees.

The bounced straight towards Heba with angry expressions. Heba screamed again as he bounced away as fast as he could, not noticing the edge of a deep ravine in front of him. He rolled off the edge and down the side of the cliff, and under some ivy into a dark tunnel.

Dazed and confused, Heba decided to see what was on the other side of the tunnel, maybe it was nicer than the side he had just come from.

Before him lay a beautiful valley. The ground was covered in lush green foliage, a waterfall, glimmered in the sunlight as it tumbled down the rusty-red, rocky walls surrounding the valley and splashed into a clean, fresh pond. A sparkling bright blue stream burbled along a winding path amid fields of flowers.

And in the middle of the valley, a tall tower that reached toward the sky. A long strand of silver rope was lowering someone down from the top of the tower. Heba bounced over as fast as he could, hiding in the bushes until the silver hair man who had traveled down the rope had turned away. Pouncing, Heba grabbed the rope and felt himself get lifted up. It was then that Heba realized that this wasn't rope, this was hair! Like the way his had been when he was a human, except silver.

Heba was brought out of his thoughts when he was brought over the windowsill and landed on the floor with a hard thud.

/Ow!/ Heba cried in pain, still tender from his tumble down the cliff.

"AH!" Ryou squealed in fright when he saw the ball of golden fur.

/I'm not going to hurt you!/ Heba said, but realized he wasn't speaking English anymore.

Heba slumped in pain and sadness as tears filled his eyes. He was hurt, didn't know where he was, and missed Atemu like crazy. Stupid Vivian.

Ryou approached when he heard crying. It appeared that his new guest was sad about something. Maybe it was hungry?

"Hi." Ryou whispered softly, and scared amethyst eyes met his. "Oh you poor thing. Let's get you cleaned up."

Ryou gently picked up the ball of fur and carried him over to the sink. Gently cleaning and his wounds, Ryou talked softly as he ran his hands threw the golden fur. He would use his hair to heal the creature, but didn't want blood on his hair. Drying the fuzz ball off with a towel, Ryou wrapped his hair around the small animal.

_Flower, gleam and glow_

_Let your powers shine_

_Make the clock reverse_

_Bring back what once was mine_

As Ryou sang his hair glowed and began to heal the Kuriboh. But to his shock, the golden fur began to glow as well.

Heba was shocked, he didn't think his magical ability has stayed with him. And how did this boy know the song? Did Anzu teach it to him, or someone Anzu knew did?

"Oh wow." Ryou muttered as he pulled his hair away to see Heba healed. "That's was surprising, wasn't it?"

Heba nodded.

"You can understand me?" Ryou gasped, and Heba nodded again.

Looking around, Heba stopped some parchment and an inkwell. Bouncing over, Heba grabbed the quill and began to write as best he could.

**My… name… Heba.**

"Nice to meet you Heba." Ryou nodded. "I'm Ryou. How can you understand me?"

**Was… human… until… little… while… ago. Spell.**

"Do you know who to reverse the spell?" Ryou asked.

**No.**

"Well Heba, you can stay with me until you can figure out how to undo this spell." Ryou smiled gently.

**Thanks. Where… am… I?**

"You're in a country called… um… Japan, I think." Ryou paused. "Sorry. I don't really know much of the outside world."

Heba felt his heart sink. Japan? That was the unknown eastern land that the Egyptians had never explored. Atemu would never find him, and he couldn't leave. Part of the spell Vivian had cast on him made him bond with the first human who had touched him, and that was Ryou. He wouldn't be able to leave and look for Atemu until Ryou did.

But he would survive until then. Beside, Ryou seemed nice. It looked like they were going to be great friends.

* * *

**MMMG:** End of chapter, and end of Heba's side stories.

**Yugi:** What happend to me at the tavern?

**MMMG:** That will be explained next chapter.

**Atemu:** Please review and let MMMG know what you thought.


	7. Chapter 7: The Escape

**MMMG:** And here is chapter 7.

**Joey:** We'll get straight to the story. MMMG does not own Yugioh, Disney's 'Tangled', or Disney's 'Tangled: Junior Novellization'.

**Mokuba:** Enjoy!

* * *

_Killer-Fangirl: Thanks for pointing that out, I got it fixed. _

_Wordsorcereress: Yeah, Heba is Heba, (I actually thought that was obvious). Have at Vivian, and no, Heba isn't attached to Ryou anymore, Atemu removed the spells Vivian placed on him. Atemu and Heba will tag along, and Ryou doesn't know what Heba looks like as a human._

_YumiStar: Ushio and unicorns was my favorite part to. _

_Fallinghikari: Join the club, they're over there. -Destroy Vivian Club waves-_

_5500jess: Nice weapon choice, there's a club waiting. Have at it. Yes, Vivina will die slowly and painfully. She's actually been in the dungeons for the past two years. _

_Animesaki: Kill the B*tch! I'm with you! Glad you liked the tavern, it was fun to write. And it is so great to have Atemu and Heba in the main story plot._

_ LuvlyLadyLexi: Samuel. I was rooting for Yugi, but parents just don't get it. _

* * *

Chapter 7: The Escape

* * *

Inside the tunnel, and happy to have made an escape, Akefia walked quickly threw the cool and dark tunnel. There were actually many branches of the tunnel, but they all would lead to the same destination, eventually. They were moving swiftly now, but still had a long way to go. The only source of light was the golden glow from lantern that the cloaked man from the tavern held up.

Akefia scowled at the backs of his new traveling companions. The two were short, one shorter than the other and had really _long_ golden hair, about the same length as Ryou. The other had a hood pulled over his head, but Akefia could spot crimson eyes and tanned skin when he turned to talk to the younger. And to cap it all over, they were glued at the hip, an arm wrapped around the others back as they whispered softly to each other.

For some odd reason, Akefia found he was… jealous.

"Just for the record, I had everything under control in the tavern." Akefia whispered somewhat harshly to Ryou.

"Oh, okay." Ryou nodded, confused. "It was good of you to step in, so thank you."

Akefia rolled his eyes. How naïve was this boy? He believed everything you told him.

"So Akefia, where're you from?" Ryou changed the subject.

"I don't do back-story." Akefia replied flatly, and then mumbled after a few second. "I am becoming interested in yours."

"You are?" Ryou blinked in surprise and worry.

"I know I'm not supposed to mention the hair." Akefia began to list.

"Nope." Ryou confirmed.

"Or the father." Akefia continued.

"Uh-uh." Ryou shook his head.

"Frankly I'm too scared to ask about your choices of shoulder partners." Akefia glanced at the Change of Heart that now occupied the spot where the Kuriboh had previously sat.

"Hey!" Ryou frowned and then realized one small detail. "Oh no, Heba!"

"Yes?" Heba glanced over his shoulder as he and Atemu stopped walking.

"Uh…" Ryou stuttered as he and Akefia blinked in confusion.

"You said my name, right?" Heba asked as he and Atemu fully turned to them.

"I was talking about someone else." Ryou replied as he turned to look back down the tunnel towards the tavern.

"No, you were talking about me." Heba replied as he stepped to Ryou and made the silver haired teen face him.

"What?" Ryou asked in confusion.

"Remember when we first met and my fur glowed when you sang?" Heba smiled, knowing only he and Ryou would have the memory.

"Oh my…" Ryou sucked in his breath as he recognized Heba's eyes. "But how…?"

"This is Atemu, my husband." Heba giggled as he introduced the man next to him. "He wields magic and was able to undo the spell that was placed on me."

"Nice to meet you." Ryou nodded his head to the crimson eyed man.

"And you as well." Atemu replied with a smile. "You have my gratitude for taking care of Heba."

"You're welcome." Ryou replied.

"You mean that fuzz ball was a human?" Akefia asked in disbelief.

"Yes." Heba replied with a strong glare he had learned from Atemu. "And it would do you well not to call me 'fuzz ball'."

"You should listen." Atemu chuckled as he began to lead the way again. "He has a mean aim with that hair of his."

"Whatever." Akefia grumbled as he started walking again, dragging Ryou a few paces before he realized what he was doing and let go.

Heba glanced over his shoulder with a small smile on his face before facing Atemu again. He knew they liked each other, a lot. Now to just get them to confess.

"Back to my question." Akefia said quietly. "If you want to see the lanterns so badly, why haven't you gone before?"

Ryou's eyes grew wide with fear and he faltered. Unknowingly, Akefia had asked a question that was about his father and his hair, the two things he wasn't supposed to ask about. Heba glanced back with Atemu as they stopped. He wanted to know how Ryou would reply.

"Uh." Ryou chuckled nervously as he glanced at Amane. "Well..."

A rock fell from the ceiling, and the stones on the floor started to shake. Atemu dropped to the floor and placed his ear to the ground.

"Uh, Akefia?" Ryou asked nervously as he glanced back down the tunnel to see a glow of a torch come closer. "Akefia..."

"We've got company!" Atemu said as he leaped up and grabbed Heba hand, pulling his beloved along as he began running.

"Thief King!" Raphael's loud voice rang through the tunnel, Zafiro's neigh ringing right behind him, loudly as well.

"Run!" Akefia yelled as he pulled Ryou after Atemu and Heba.

Ryou grabbed his hair in his arms and blinked at the sudden sunlight as they came to the end of the tunnel. They were in a vast cavern dotted with huge stone pillars. Behind them, an old, rickety wooden dam held back a reservoir of water.

Atemu and Heba were standing at the edge of the outcrop of rock they were on, next to a rope ladder that would lead them down to their next leg of tunnel. As Atemu started down, Paradox and Arkana burst out of a different tunnel, blocking the way they needed to go.

"Who's that?" Ryou asked as Atemu climbed back up.

"They don't like me." Akefia stated, wishing he had some sort of weapon.

The palace guards raced out of the tunnel, panting heavily from their run, but still wearing angry expressions as they glared at Akefia.

"Who's that?" Ryou questioned, not noticing Heba uncoiling his hair.

"They don't like me either." Akefia replied.

Zafiro joined the guards with an angry neigh. He was ready to apprehend that thief.

"Who's that?!" Ryou practically demanded as Heba tossed a strand of his hair up and across the cavern, lassoing a wooden beam.

"Let's just assume for the moment that everyone here doesn't like me!" Akefia snapped, making sure he was between Ryou and the guards.

"That's too bad." Atemu commented.

Akefia whirled to snap at the man… to find he wasn't there. And neither was Heba. Looking around Akefia spotted Atemu holding Heba in his arms while swing across the cavern to another outcrop with Heba hair.

"Here!" Ryou gave Akefia his frying pan and copied Heba motions, swinging himself and Amane to safety next to Akefia and Heba.

"I've waited a long time for this." Raphael said with a chuckle as he drew his sword, reminding Akefia that he wasn't alone on his rock.

Eyes widened the guards bore down on him, Akefia ducked Raphael's sword before swinging Ryou's frying pan, smacking the man upside his head, knocking him out. Moving fast, he did the same to the rest of the guards so they all lay in a pile.

'_I have got to get me one of these!_' Akefia thought as he realized what a weapon Ryou's small frying pan was.

Heba tossed his hair to another wooden beam and held onto Atemu as they swung across the cavern again. They narrowly avoided the blades of Arkana and Pandora with Atemu's heel striking one of them in the nose before they landed on a wooden chute that connected to the dam.

Then Akefia saw Zafiro. The horse had a sword clenched in his teeth and proceeded to duel the Thief King. Pan clashed against sword as Akefia tried to stay out from under Zafiro's hooves as he was pressed closer to the edge of the outcrop he was on.

"This is the strangest thing I've ever done!" Akefia grunted right before Zafiro knocked the frying pan out of his hands, where it hit the bottom of the canyon with a soft _clang_!

"Akefia!" Ryou called from his outcrop, where he had looped his hair around a small piece that was sticking out.

Ryou tossed his hair across the cavern, Akefia's hand grabbing it as he jumped, leaving the astonished Zafiro behind. Ryou felt determination well up in him. He had done this many times in the tower; it was just like jumping from the rafters. Ryou watched Akefia swing out in the canyon, aiming for him to make a soft landing on the bottom.

Except for one small detail. Arkana and Pandora were still on the bottom of the canyon. Both Ryou and Akefia had forgotten about them.

"Akefia, look out!" Ryou called.

"Oh shit!" Akefia cursed, not even having a frying pan to defend himself.

Ryou grunted as he tugged on his hair, and Akefia rose just enough to avoid getting turned into ribbons by Pandora and Arkana's blades.

"You should see your faces because you look ridiculous." Akefia called as he twisted to land on the same water chute Heba and Atemu were a little further down on.

Ryou sighed in relief as the sound of a repetitive _thud_ reach his ears. Looking back, Ryou saw Zafiro kicking at a support beam that held up the dam. It gave way, making a bridge for him and the recovering guards to walk across. But it also caused a massive leak that threatened to burst the entire dam.

"Come on Ryou, jump!" Akefia yelled as Zafiro came closer.

Ryou ran to the edge and leapt off, Zafiro behind him and trying to catch his hair with his teeth. If he had moved a second later, that may have happened. But it didn't. Ryou made it safely to the ground, skidding across a puddle below the chute. But Pandora and Arkana were right behind him.

"Time to go." Atemu commented as he swung Heba onto his back and let the water in the chute carry him and Heba down.

Akefia copied them and found that he moved rather quickly. The chute began to collapses as the three rounded a corner, but with some quick jumping, they all made it the canyon floor, Akefia picking up the hair that was dragging behind Ryou.

Behind them, the dam breaks, setting free a tidal wave of water that roared into the cavern. It washed away the guards and Zafiro before sweeping up Arkana and Pandora. As the flood waters closed in on the fleeing group, they smashed into a pillar of rock that began to fall. Racing a full speed, they ran into the tunnel, the current washing in Ryou's frying pan before the pillar crashed down, an avalanche of rocks sealing the entrance.

Water leaked in to the chamber and rose rapidly as they all scrambled to the highest stop available. Both Akefia and Atemu dove into the water to see if they could find an exit of some sort, while Ryou and Heba tried to move the rocks in the wall, but to no avail. Akefia attempted to help Ryou but cut his hand before diving down again with Atemu. Both resurfaced with mournful looks on their faces as the water stood that their waists.

"It's no use." Atemu gasped as he steadied himself next to Heba. "We can't see anything."

Ryou took a deep breath and dove into the water. Akefia reacted quickly and grabbed his arms, pulling him back up.

"There's no point." Akefia told him as he brushed the wet silver bangs out of Ryou's face. "It's pitch-black down there."

Heba and Atemu clung to each other as Heba cried softly. Ryou and Bakura looked at one another helplessly. They all had come so far, and were going to die in that little cave.

"This is all my fault." Ryou sniffed dejectedly as the water rose higher. "He was right. I never should have done this. "I'm so... I'm so sorry, Akefia."

Ryou crumbled as he began to sob, but couldn't help thinking of father's warnings of the world outside the tower. And yet… Pegasus had been wrong about some things. He had told Ryou that thugs and thieves were evil, but the thugs had become his friend while Akefia hadn't hurt him at all.

"Bakura." Akefia breathed out softly.

"What?" Ryou whipped his eyes.

"My real name is Bakura Touzoku*." Akefia sighed, a dying man's confession as he grasped Ryou's hand under the water. "Someone might as well know."

Ryou let out a soft laugh and a weak smile. Akefia, er… _Bakura_ had been honest with him. Even if it took a life and death situation.

"I have magic hair that glows when I sing." Ryou blurted out his own secret.

Ryou couldn't believe it. He had broken on of father's rules by telling Bakura, and Atemu, about his hair.

"What?" Bakura asked in disbelief.

"Idiot!" Heba's groaned eyes widen and he smacked his forehead. "How could I have forgotten _that_?"

"I have… magic hair that glows when I sing!" Ryou grew excited as he realized that his and Heba's hair might help them find a way out of the cave.

"Start singing!" Heba ordered as the water rose to their chins and still kept rising.

_Flower gleam and glow,_

_Let your power shine..._

All of them inhaled a deep breath as the water closed over their heads. At first, it was dark. And then a gold and silver glow lit up under the water.

"Whoa!" Bakura couldn't stop his exclamation of surprise at seeing Ryou and Heba's hair shimmering with magic.

All eyes followed the strand of hair to the bottom of the cave, where the hair was being pulled with the water that was leaving threw some rocks. Swimming down to it, Heba and Ryou held their hair up as Bakura and Atemu desperately yanked the rocks away. The magic faded, leaving them in blackness. Pushing with all his might, Bakura felt his hand touch air and began shoving at the rest of the rocks as hard as he could before he ran out of air.

With a large rush of water, the four humans and one Change of Heart tumbled out into a river and clambered onto the riverbank, coughing and gasping for air. Lying face down or rolling onto their backs, they all took a few moments to breath.

"We made it." Heba panted softly.

"Their hair glows." Bakura stifled as shriek, in shock about what he had just seen.

"We're alive." Ryou cheered joyfully, not hearing Bakura. "I'm alive!"

"I didn't see that coming." Bakura whispered as he ran a hand through his wet hair.

"Bakura?" Ryou asked as he stood up and copied Heba's motions of gathering the rest of this hair from the slow flowing river.

"Their hair actually glows." Bakura turned to Atemu, who nodded.

"Bakura." Ryou called again.

"Why does their hair glow?" Bakura practically shouted and Atemu shrugged.

"Bakura!" Ryou yelled.

"What?" Bakura yelled back, a panicked look on his face.

Ryou sighed as he rung out his hair, Heba doing the same next to him. Bakura was freaked out by his hair, but his hand looked terrible and needed treatment.

"It doesn't just glow." Ryou smiled.

Atemu smirked impishly as he glanced back to Bakura, a sly look in his eyes. He knew the man was in for an even bigger surprise.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Bakura demanded weakly.

* * *

Pegasus' dagger had come in handy when convincing Bob to tell him exactly how to get to the exit of the tunnel Ryou and Akefia had escaped through. Having found his way to the exit, a yellow duckling panted on a door inside a hollow tree, Pegasus waited with his long dagger. He was ready to use it on Akefia to get Ryou away from that thief.

But when the door to the tunnel finally opened, it wasn't Ryou and Akefia who came out. It was those two criminals Pegasus had seen in shackles at the tavern, Pandora and Arkana. Backing away quickly, Pegasus watched from behind a rock as the two coughed and gagged up some water.

"I'll kill him." Pandora panted. "I'll kill that Thief King!"

"We'll cut him off at the kingdom, and get back the crowns." Arkana replied as they started walking again.

"Or…" Pegasus called from atop a rock, making the two turn to him. "Perhaps you want to stop acting like wild dogs chasing their tails and _think_ for a moment."

Pegasus held up the satchel, inside where the crowns. Pandora and Arkana drew their swords, ready to fight for what they saw was rightfully theirs.

"Oh please, there's no need for that." Pegasus scoffed as he tossed them the bag.

The two reached into the bag and pulled out both of the crowns, smiling. What they didn't know was that Pegasus was going to use them to help his plans. He would give them something for free, and tempted them with something even better.

"Well, if that's all that you desire, then be on your way." Pegasus called cheerfully with a laugh. "I was going to offer you something worth one thousand crowns. Would have made you rich beyond belief and that wasn't even the best part. Oh well. Such is life. Enjoy your _crowns_."

"What's the best part?" Arkana asked after he and his twin glanced at each other.

"It comes with revenge on Thief King Akefia." Pegasus goaded slyly as he held up the wanted poster.

Pandora and Arkana were suddenly all ears. They were eager for revenge against the man and were willing to do anything to get it. Neither one of them noticed Pegasus smile wickedly.

With their help, he would get Ryou back and get rid of the Thief King Akefia once and for all.

* * *

*Touzoku- a Japanese translation of thief or robber

* * *

**MMMG:** End of chapter.

**Atemu:** We passed the halfway point.

**Yugi:** He's right! That deserves some reviews!

**MMMG:** Let me know what you think! Favorite part, least favorite part, spelling/grammer mistakes, questions, etc.


	8. Chapter 8: Camping in the Forest

**MMMG:** And here's chapter 8.

**Bakura:** What took so long? We've been waiting for nearly 2 weeks!

**Ryou:** Not very nice review for a different story. Dumped water on MMMG's writing fire.

**MMMG:** I'll be fine. Thanks for all the nice reviews for the last chapter.

**Marik:** MMMG does not own Yugioh, Disney's 'Tangled', or Disney's 'Tangled Junior Novelization'.

**Malik:** Enjoy!

* * *

_Animesaki: Bakura has happily joined the Frying Pan Revolution and thanks you for your welcome. Hey, they've got to have fun somehow. Good speculation, but not happening. You'll see why later._

_5500jess: Yes, Vivian will die slowly and painfully. And call our thief Bakura, I am since that's his real name in this story. I started laughing at that part to, and I was the one writing it._

_Killer-Fangirl: Maybe, I haven't figured that part out yet._

_InuYoiushi: Thanks for pointing that out, I got it fixed._

_anonimous: Who wouldn't be OOC after the first time?_

_Wordsorcereress: Of course they're going to sit down and talk, what else would this chapter be about? Ryou singing would activate both hair's magic, remember it did when Pegasus sang in the first chapter. Amane was with them when they popped out of the river. She's mentioned a bit more in this chapter._

* * *

And to omg rly (guest reviewer of 'How did it come to this?'): Thank you for pointing out that grammar mistake, but I do hope you remember seeing "EDITED ON 6-10-2012; SPELLING AND GRAMMAR ERRORS CORRECTED, _I hope_", in the summary. That means I probably missed a few things.

And a couple other things. Where in that chapter did I state my age? Where in that_ story _did I state my age? I know not to put your age on the internet, so I don't do it. I am also _American_, born and raised, so English _is_ my first language. Heck, it's my only language. And please save the cussing for someone who actually deserves it, that story was completed/finished over a year ago. I don't go back and re-read that often due to a little thing called 'Life' and 'Work'.

And if you don't want me to reply where anyone can read it, send a PM so I can respond in private.

* * *

Chapter 8: Camping in the Forest

* * *

Night had fallen by the time Atemu managed to get a fire going, to help them dry off. Now he sat on a nearby log with Heba sitting in his lap. Heba was fusing over the bruised side Atemu had gotten when they tumbled into the river, but the man didn't seem to mind as his husband wrapped his golden strands of hair around his middle.

On another log about 6-8 ft. away, Ryou and Bakura sat with Amane and Ryou's frying pan resting at Ryou's feet. Ryou was currently wrapping the tail end of his long length of hair around Bakura's injured hand, while Bakura himself watched with annoyance and a minor hint of curiosity.

"Both of you are being strangely cryptic as you wrap your magic hair around our injured bodies." Bakura finally huffed out before he winced at the pressure on his wound.

"Sorry." Ryou cringed and let out a sigh, his eyes wide and begging. "Just don't... don't freak out."

Bakura glanced down to his hand and then back to Ryou with a raised eyebrow before he glanced over at Heba and Atemu. They still hadn't explained why they were still with them, but at that point he was more interested/concerned about what Ryou was going to do. Ryou sighed again and closed his eyes as he softly and slowly began to sing with Heba joining.

_Flower, gleam and glow_

_Let your power shine_

The silver and gold loops of hair that surrounded the campsite lit up the night with a magical glow. Bakura followed the strands as they began to glow with wide eyes before he caught noticed of the tanned skin man across from him.

_Make the clock reverse_

_Bring back what once was mine_

Atemu was watching Bakura calmly. Holding up both hands, Atemu pointed to the palm of one hand with the other hand, a knowing look was in his eyes as Heba's golden glow wrapped around his chest and stomach.

_Heal what has been hurt_

_Change the fate's design_

_Save what has been lost_

_Bring back what once was mine_

Bakura watched in amazement as Ryou's silver glow reached his hand. Something was happening to his appendage, he could feel it. The hair was warm and soothing, as soft and sweet as Ryou's voice, with Heba's soft harmony chiming in.

Glancing back to Atemu, Bakura watched the man nod with a soft smile on his face as he looked back to Heba. He knew what happened when this song was sung and the hair lit up, and knew that the thief would know soon as well.

_What once was mine_

As Ryou and Heba finished, their hair stopped glowing. Heba began to unwrap his locks from Atemu, while Ryou looked to Bakura with a small look of fear in his eyes. Confused, Bakura pulled the silver strands from his hand, and gasped.

His hand was completely healed.

Bakura found he was starting to breathe in and out rather quickly. This had never happened to him before. Forget the 'Weirdest Moments of my Life' list, this was definitely on the 'Freakiest Moments of my Life' list. Opening his mouth, a scream started to burst out.

"Please don't freak out!" Ryou quickly begged.

But the thing is, Bakura was freaked out, and didn't quite understand why Atemu wasn't as well. Wait, Heba was his husband, of course _he_ knew. After a few strangled gasps, and the pleading look on Ryou's face, Bakura managed to get some form of control over himself.

"I'm not freaking out. Are you freaking out?" Bakura talked rather quickly to hide his shock. "No, I'm just very interested in you and your friend's hair and the magical qualities that they possess. How long has it been doing that exactly?"

"Forever, I guess." Ryou shrugged as he glanced over to Heba.

"As long as I can remember." Heba nodded.

Ryou let out a small exhale. He trusted Bakura and Heba, and Heba trusted Atemu. It was time to tell his story.

"Father says when I was a baby, people tried to cut it, that they wanted to take it for themselves." Ryou explained as he lifted his silver hair way to reveal one strand of stalk white hair. "But, once it's cut, it turns white and loses its power."

"My hair turns black tipped with purple when cut, but the result is still the same." Heba added as he showed his strand of black hair.

"A gift like that, it has to be protected." Ryou continued with a smile to the boy who was once a Kuriboh. "That's why father never let me... That's why I never left and..."

Ryou sighed as he trailed off and looked away. Should he tell Bakura he never left the tower, or had the man already figured that out by the way he had acted today?

"Ryou never left that tower." Heba finished softly.

Understanding was visible in Bakura's eyes. Since that was the life Ryou had ever know, it explained why he was so curious about the world around him. And it also clarified why he had such deep trust in his father. That was the only human Ryou had ever met until earlier that day. The revelation shocked Bakura and made him want to protect the silver haired boy.

"And you're still going to go back?" Bakura asked.

"No!" Ryou replied before his face twisted in confusion. "Yes. Ugh! It's complicated."

Ryou flopped his face into his hands while Amane curled up at his feet, one little hand touching his bare skin as a sign of comfort. Heba crossed over and gave Ryou a hug, making a flash of jealousy run through Bakura.

"Thanks Heba." Ryou exhaled. "Think you can tell me your story now? And how did you learn my healing song?"

"I was raised as a slave in Egypt and taught the song by the woman who owned me." Heba laughed softly. "I think she might have known Pegasus, or at least heard him sing the song since she was the only person who owned me and taught it to me. But I ran away from her after I turned 12 years old. A year later, I met Atemu for the first time."

"I really wouldn't say that." Atemu chuckled as he sat down next to Ryou's log and pulled the amethyst eyed teen into his lap.

"Then what would you say?" Heba teased.

"That you rescued me from drowning because someone shot me with an arrow." Atemu grinned. "We really didn't meet until a year later."

"Yeah, when you caught me while I was bathing." Heba blushed.

"Say what?" Ryou blushed as well while Bakura laughed his head off.

"Interesting first talk." Atemu snickered. "And all we did that night was talk, after Heba got decent. I found out he was a runaway slave, and he found out that I was, and still am, the crown prince of Egypt."

"No way." Bakura stopped laughing as he looked Atemu up and down.

Atemu was wearing a basic tunic, pants, and sandals that were well worn by travel. He didn't look like a royal, not even like a noble. No gold, no jewels, not even an escort.

"Believe it." Heba giggled. "For the next year we talked next to the Nile, and Atemu offered me a place to live in the palace. I definitely would be safer there, so I agreed. But the next two months were terrible thanks to a visiting princess, Vivian."

"She has it in her head that I'm going to marry her." Atemu snorted. "Fat chance."

"Atemu and I had fallen for each other during our talks over the past year and wanted to remain close, so I began Atemu's personal servant." Heba continued. "This remained so until Atemu proposed five months later, and we married two months after."

"Two years ago, Vivian came back to visit." Atemu scowled. "She cast a spell on Heba that would do three things. 1. Take him to a faraway country to the east of Egypt, 2. Change him from his human form into something else, and 3. Bind him to serve the first human that touched him so he couldn't look for me."

"I woke up in the forest near Ryou's tower as a Kuriboh and got chased there by a bunch of other angry Kuriboh's." Heba picked up. "Ryou healed me up and I've been with him ever since. I couldn't go since Ryou refused to leave the tower. What happened to Vivian anyway?"

"She's in the dungeon." Atemu replied. "Her father stripped her of her title and wealth, and banished her from her homeland. He left her to be punished by my father, who is waiting for me to return with you."

"Good." Heba hummed and glanced up to Ryou and Bakura. "Satisfied?"

"Yes." Ryou nodded.

"No." Bakura snapped. "Why are you still here?"

"Because we're not stupid enough to travel through the forest in the dark." Atemu replied with a mild glare.

"So, Bakura Touzoku, huh?" Ryou looked over to the white haired male next to him.

"Uh, yeah." Bakura shrugged gruffly. "I'll spare you the sob story of poor orphan Bakura Touzoku. It's a bit of a downer."

"Can't be any worse than being raise as a slave your whole life." Heba commented.

"My family, my entire village of Kul Elna, was murdered before my eyes." Bakura replied as his hand ran over his right cheek, right under his eye. "I was forced to watch. I was released in the desert, but not before I was given this scar."

"I'm sorry." Heba gasped. "I take back what I said."

"You didn't know pipsqueak." Bakura replied with a glare that had a hint of mischief.

"Guess I deserved that one." Heba sighed as he leaned into Atemu's embrace.

Ryou felt sorry for Bakura as well, but he wanted to know more. Scooting closer, Ryou gave Bakura a wide eyed innocent look he had learned from Heba. Bakura's own eyes widened, and he felt his resolve to not say another word crumbled.

Heba noticed the looks the two were giving each other and stood up, tugging Atemu with him. They would give the two a few minutes alone to talk. Besides, he and his husband had two years of kissing and hugging to make up for.

Bakura didn't want to tell about his thieving heists he committed for survival, so he searched for a happy memory before the slaughter. Ah, how he chose his new name.

"There was this book I used to read every night to all the younger kids: 'The Tales of Akefia Saraqa*'." Bakura smiled as he pictured the scroll in his lap and the eager faces of the younger kids gathered around him. "Daring rogue, richest man alive, not bad with the ladies either. Not that he would to brag about it, of course."

"Was he a thief too?" Ryou asked.

"Uh... well, no. He had enough money to do anything that he wanted to do and go anywhere that he wanted to go." Bakura shrugged. "And for a kid with nothing left, I don't know, I... stealing just seemed like a better option. As time went by, I adopted Akefia Saraqa's name as my own."

"Hmm." Ryou wasn't sure what else to say, but he wanted Bakura to know he was listening and not just staring off into space.

"You can't tell anyone about this." Bakura warned. "It will ruin my whole reputation."

"And we wouldn't want that." Ryou replied with a smile.

"Well, a fake reputation is all a man has." Bakura replied with a smirk.

The comment sent the two into some form of laughter. Ryou giggled and Bakura made these 'I'm not going to laugh' noises in the back of his throat, but his shoulders shook from the laughter he was holding down. After the pair simmered down, they just stared at one another. Clearing his throat and standing up, Bakura stretched.

"I'm going to get some more firewood." Bakura said as he turned to enter the woods.

"Hey." Ryou called after the man. "Just for the record, I like Bakura Touzoku much better than the Thief King Akefia."

"Well… then you'd be the first." Bakura nodded his head as he held the hand that had once been injured. "But thank you."

Ryou smiled as he watched Bakura step into the dark forest, out of range of the campfire light. As he felt the warmth of the fire enveloping him, a familiar voice from a cloaked visitor spoke from behind.

"Well, I thought he'd never leave!" Pegasus said as he pulled the hood of the cloak from his head, showing that his silver hair was starting to turn white.

"Father?" Ryou breathed out, feeling scared that he was alone as his father stepped out of the shadows and into the firelight.

"Hello dear." Pegasus greeted.

Pegasus had found Ryou with the help of Pandora and Arkana. He had arrived in time to hear the wanted thief's sob story about how his family had been murdered before his eyes. Watching, he witnessed the tanned man with crimson eyes leave with a boy with long gold hair, leaving his flower alone with one person.

"But I, I, I, I don't, uh..." Ryou fumbled for words as Amane jumped behind a rock on the other side of the campsite, away from Pegasus. "How did you find me?"

"Oh, it was easy, really." Pegasus replied as he walked up to the silver haired teen and gave him a hug. "I just listened for the sound of complete and utter betrayal and followed that."

"Father..." Ryou sighed and tried to find a way to explain, but still couldn't help but feel just a tad bit guilty.

"We're going home, Ryou." Pegasus commanded as he took Ryou by his wrist. "Now."

"You, you don't understand." Ryou protested as he halted Pegasus' walking. "I've been on this incredible journey and I've seen and learned so much. I even met someone."

"Yes, the wanted thief, I'm so proud." Pegasus replied cheerfully before replacing the tone with one of authority and started walking again. "Come on, Ryou."

"Father, wait." Ryou stopped walking, pulling his wrist out of Pegasus' grasp. "I think... I think he likes me."

"Likes you?" Pegasus asked with a small chuckle. "Please, Ryou, that's demented."

"But Father, I..." Ryou protested, but Pegasus cut him off as he started singing.

_This is why you never should have left_

_Dear, this whole romance that you've invented_

_Just proves you're too naive to be here_

Ryou sighed. He still couldn't get a word in edgewise, and Pegasus was starting to tap at doubts in the back of his mind. His father was mocking him trying to unravel the trust he had in Bakura, as well as Heba and Atemu.

_Why would he like you? Come on now, really._

_Look at you! You think that he's impressed?_

_Don't be a bother, come with father_

_Father..._

"No!" Ryou said firmly.

Ryou had heard Pegasus' scornful dismissals before, and he had even accepted them. But he no longer believed them the way he used to. Pegasus had lied to him throughout his life. Ryou knew that Bakura liked him on some level, and that he had made friends in the outside world.

And he wasn't going to give that up.

"No?" Pegasus repeated before an 'I know everything look crossed his face. "Oh. I see how it is."

Ryou's eyes widened. He knew that look and it only meant trouble.

_Ryou knows best_

_Ryou's so mature now_

_Such a clever grown-up man_

_Ryou knows best_

_Fine, if you're so sure now_

_Go ahead, with _this_ in hand!_

Pegasus produced the satchel. The satchel that Ryou had hidden under the bottom stair in the tower. It shouldn't be here.

"How did you...?" Ryou gasped in shock as his father tossed the crown he had tried on in the tower to him.

This _is why he's here!_

_Don't let him deceive you!_

_Give it to him, watch, you'll see!_

"I will!" Ryou replied defiantly.

_Trust me, my dear _

_-snaps fingers-_

_That's how fast he'll leave you_

_I won't say I told you so!_

Ryou began to wonder, the doubts Pegasus was bringing up tickled at the back of his mind. Was Bakura trying to be honorable to keep up his side of the deal? If he gave the crowns the Bakura, would he stop being nice to him? Would he leave him alone and run away with the precious crowns?

Pegasus put the satchel, with the other crown resting inside, around Ryou's shoulders, still taunting and feeding his son's doubts.

_No, Ryou knows best!_

_So if he's such a dreamboat_

_Go and put him to the test_

"Father, wait!" Ryou called as Pegasus began to retreat into the forest, the doubts in his mind massively pushing for his attention.

_If he's lying, don't come crying_

_Father knows best!_

And with a swish of his cloak, Pegasus vanished into the foggy forest. Ryou stood in silence and glanced down at the crown in his hand. He had believed in Pegasus his entire life. But now that he knew Bakura, Heba, and Atemu, he felt lost. It was impossible to believe two different sides.

"So... can I ask you something?" Bakura called as he approached the campsite, making Ryou jump in fright.

Bakura had come across Heba and Atemu in a make out session on his way back. Splitting the two up, he had them help him carry the wood back. Translation: they carried while he led the way. Amane came out from hiding as the three came out of the forest.

"Is there any chance that I'm going to get super strength in my hand?" Bakura asked as they came back into the camp light. "Because I'm not going to lie, that would be stupendous."

Ryou didn't reply. He was staring into the forest, to where Pegasus had left, and had hardly heard a word Bakura had said.

"Hey, are you all right?" Heba asked as he set down his pile of wood and touched Ryou on the shoulder.

"Oh! Sorry, yes." Ryou recovered with a smile as he turned around. "Just lost in thought, I guess."

Bakura nodded as he began to tend to the fire. It was easy to understand since tomorrow was the day the lanterns would be launched.

"I mean, because here's the thing, superhuman good looks, I've always had them." Bakura continued, still intrigued by Ryou's magical hair, and a tad bit of Heba's as well. "Born with it. But superhuman strength? Can you imagine the possibilities of this?"

Ryou didn't reply. He just glanced back at the hollow tree stump where he had hid the satchel and crowns.

Nearby, Pandora and Arkana hid with Pegasus. They wanted to grab Akefia, the crowns, and the boy with silver hair right then and there. As they stepped forward, Pegasus held up a hand to hold them back, his eyes trained on the campsite.

"Patience boys, everything is going exactly as planned." Pegasus whispered. "All good things to those who wait."

* * *

Saraqa - an Arabic translation of the word thief

* * *

**MMMG: **And end of chapter.

**Atemu:** Hope you get nice reviews for this chapter.

**Yugi:** Me too. Someone going off the deep end just because of one little mistake that was made years ago is not very nice.

**MMMG:** Thanks Yugi. And if anyone is confused about Pegasus, he didn't see Heba's hair glow because he wasn't there. He got there in time to hear the tail end of Heba and Atemu's story and all of Bakura's. So he doesn't know that Heba is his second 'flower'.

**Bakura:** Please review and tell the writer how much you hate her!

**Ryou:** Bakura! -shove him into a closet- Please review and tell the writer that you like her and what you think of the story. Favorite part, least favorite part, spelling/grammar mistakes, questions, etc.


	9. Chapter 9: The Floating Lights

**MMMG:** Hey everyone, here's chapter 9!

**Bakura:** What gives!? It's been over three weeks!

**MMMG:** I didn't even know you cared Bakura.

**Ryou:** It was getting interesting and then you left us with a cliffhanger.

**MMMG:** Not really, but I see the point.

**Malik:** MMMG does not own Yugioh, Disney's 'Tangled', or Disney's 'Tangled Junior Novelization'.

**Marik:** Enjoy the chapter!

**MMMG:** And thanks to everyone who gave their support last chapter when someone else had left a mean review. You made my day. :) And BlueBaron, you're my 100th reviewer, so this chapter is dedicated to you.

* * *

_Killer-Fangirl: Thanks for pointing that out, I've got it corrected. _

_Wordsorcereress: You're right, Disney does need to be a bit more considerate of their characters. Hot chocolate for everyone! Yes, the original clips are there in my own way._

_Animesaki: The villain's always ruing a good vibe. And no, the song is specifically Tendershipping. _

_InuYoiushi: No, Pegasus spoke right. Movie line. _

_Fallinghikari: I think you're actually the first one to ask. Have at it, but keep him alive until the end of the story, I still need him. _

_SailorDeathMoon: Glad you like the story, and thanks for the praise._

_anonimous: Not counting this one, I think there's four left. And yes, I remember 'A Merman's Tail', and I know there is a sequel. It's the next story that I'm posting. (see_ Will be starting soon _on my profile_)

* * *

Chapter 9: The Floating Lights

* * *

The sun rose over the little campsite the next morning, making things feel warm and sunny. Ryou had used his long silver hair as a blanket to help keep out the nightly chill, Amane curling up with him. Heba and Atemu had done the same, but also had each other to snuggle with. Bakura had declined any warmth offer and lay curled close to the fire, not knowing that Ryou snuck a length of his hair across the man's back after he fell asleep.

A couple drops of water tapped Bakura's cheek, making the thief jerk awake with his hand on the dagger he kept at his side. Above him, and soaking wet from the now ruined dam wreckage, was Zafiro.

Zafiro had galloped, swum, and scrambled up and down mountains, falling and picking himself up again, utterly exhausting himself trying to hunt that no good criminal down. And now he finally had him.

"You'd better here to apologize." Bakura snarled as he roughly wiped the wetness of his face and attempted to fall back asleep. "Ahhh...!"

Ryou jerked awake for two reasons. One, Bakura had yelled, and two, something had tugged on his hair. Amane flared awake as well, her demon side ready for a fight. But neither one of them were prepared for the astonishing sigh in front of them. Zafiro had grabbed the waistband of Bakura's grey shorts, and was attempting to drag the man away, but Bakura definitely wasn't going without a fight.

"Put me down!" Bakura yelled as he tried to stab Zafiro with his dagger. "Let me go!"

Ryou ran after Bakura and Zafiro, grabbing Bakura by the wrists and pulling him back with all his strength. Soon, Ryou and Zafiro were engaged in a tug of war with Bakura stretched between them.

"Am I seeing things right?" Atemu questioned as he rubbed sleep from his eyes, having been woken by Bakura's outburst.

"Bakura getting caught in the middle of a tug of war between Ryou and the horse that's been following us since the Snuggly Duckling?" Heba raised an eyebrow as he re-gathered his hair. "Yep."

"Give me… him." Ryou ordered as he pulled as hard as he could.

Zafiro snorted as he tugged harder. He had been searching all night, and wasn't about to give up his prize. But Bakura had other ideas. Pulling a wrist out of Ryou's hand, Bakura quickly undid the belt holding his shorts up, and he shot forward, landing right on top of Ryou. Zafiro fell backwards a few paces and onto his rear, with Bakura's shorts in his mouth.

"I did _not_ need to see that." Heba hissed as he blushed and turned to bury his face in Atemu's chest.

"_I_ didn't need to see that." Atemu agreed as he buried his face in Heba's hair.

Ryou and Bakura both blushed when they realized what sort of position they were in. Bakura quickly sat back up, holding the front of his red robe closed with one hand and his dagger at the ready in the other.

Zafiro shook himself and charged at the thief, who was ready for a fight. Bakura just kept out of reach of Zafiro's teeth and hooves, the two of them moving in some fierce dance. But he missed seeing the remaining firewood they had, and fell to the ground. Zafiro neigh angrily as he bore down on the man.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ryou jumped in front of Bakura. "Easy, boy, easy! Settle down!"

Zafiro snorted and snapped his teeth at the silver haired teen, making him step back a pace in fear. He wasn't in the mood to put up with anyone who got in the way of his prize.

"Whoa, whoa!" Heba blocked the stubborn animal's path.

Atemu quickly pulled Bakura up a tall tree as Zafiro snapped his teeth at Heba as well. But in return, the horse received a smart slap to the nose. Zafiro jerked back in shock as his anger quickly started to simmer down as the golden haired boy quickly stroked his nose gently as well.

"Easy, boy, easy." Heba soothed softly. "Easy."

Zafiro felt most of his negative feeling disappear as Ryou came up next to Heba with a soft smile on his face. Amane was perched on top of the boy's head, watching with interest.

"That's it." Ryou smiled sweetly.

Zafiro looked between the two boys and the Change of Heart, who made gentle 'calm down' motions with her hands. Did they… care?

"Now lay down." Heba commanded.

Zafiro tilted his ears back. Lying down, he wasn't able to quickly flee from any predators or enemies. If he did listen to the golden haired boy, it would be because he trusted him.

"Down." Heba said firmly as he looked the horse in the eye.

Zafiro shuddered and lay down with a huff. But it felt good. He had been racing and hunting and sniffing and falling over cliffs for what felt like days now, but had only been 24 hrs.

"What?" Bakura gasped from his place on the tree.

"You haven't seen anything yet." Atemu smirked.

"Now drop the shorts." Heba directed and Zafiro stiffened in a way that clearly said 'no'. "Drop it!"

The shorts fell from Zafiro's mouth. To be honest, they had tasted terrible. When was the last time that thief had bathed, anyway? Heba grabbed the shorts and stepped back to hand them off as Ryou stepped forward.

"Aww, you are such a good boy!" Ryou cooed as he began to pet the tired horse's neck. "Yes you are."

Zafiro felt himself perk up. How was it that the more feminine ones that were had a gentler touch with horses? He didn't care, because the fawning felt good.

"Are you all tired from chasing this bad man all over the place?" Heba asked as he threw Bakura shorts up to the thief, and struck the man in the head as Zafiro nodded.

"Excuse me?" Bakura growled as he tugged them back on and tied his belt back in place.

"Nobody appreciates you, do they?" Ryou asked sadly and Zafiro grunted as he hung his head over Ryou's shoulder. "I didn't think so."

"Oh come on." Bakura huffed as he carefully began to climb back down the tree. "He's a bad horse!"

"Oh, he's nothing but a big sweetheart!" Ryou shrugged off the comment.

Zafiro neighed in delight as Heba came back over and began to scratch his neck. Between the two boys he was feeling more relaxed then he had been in over two weeks.

"Isn't that right… Zafiro?" Heba cooed as he read the horse's name on his saddle. "You're a wonderful horse to be around."

"You've got to be kidding me." Bakura grumbled.

Bakura cringed. Was he actually jealous of a horse? One that was stealing Ryou's affections? Atemu found he was having a hard time trying not to laugh at the situation while Heba and Ryou kept scratching Zafiro's neck. Zafiro lurched to his feet as he snorted in anger at Bakura, his old fire of hatred returning at slightly less than full force, but still there.

"Look. Today is kind of the biggest day of my life." Ryou looked into Zafiro's eyes as he explained. "And the thing is, I need you _not_ to get Bakura arrested."

Zafiro huffed as he ears laced back. That went against everything he knew and had been taught ever since he was a foal.

"Just for 24 hours and then you can chase each other to your heart's content." Ryou pleaded. "Okay?"

Bakura groaned and sighed, knowing it was the only way to get into the kingdom so Ryou could see the lanterns and he could get his satchel back. Grudgingly he held out his hand to the horse, which defiantly turned his head away with a huff.

"And it's also my birthday." Ryou mumbled. "Just so you know."

"It's Heba's birthday as well." Atemu added. "Who knew?"

Zafiro felt his resolve wane. He couldn't stand the thief and was certain the feeling was mutual. Glaring he held up his hoof to be shaken in a truce. Bakura bit his tongue as he shook the equine's foot. Each of them was only doing this for Ryou.

Ryou smiled in delight and then saw something he couldn't see the night before due to the darkness. It was a tall tower of some sort, and bells were ringing in the distance. As he walked away from the group, Zafiro quickly struck out his hoof and nailed Bakura in the gut.

'_So much for starting this truce nicely._' Bakura grumbled.

"That wasn't very nice." Heba scolded as he and Atemu followed Ryou.

Zafiro immediately felt chastised. Ryou trusted him to keep this thief safe for 24 hours, and so he would.

Ryou ran over the crest of the last hill, and stopped as he stared at the kingdom before him. It was more beautiful than anything he could have imagined. Bordered by a body of crystal-blue water, an elegant castle sparkled in the sun, flags flying form its many spires. A village of lovely stone and wood cottages and small bridges nestled at its base.

"Wow." Ryou breathed out in a rush, and started to cross the bridge that connected the kingdom to the stretch of land he was on.

As he crossed the bridge, Bakura noted several wanted posters of him hanging along the wall. He scowled at every single one of them, since none of them had his right eye drawn correctly. But the real issue was the fact that he didn't have anything to disguise himself with. He would be easily recognized by anyone in the kingdom and arrested faster than he could even say 'crown thief'.

"Here." Atemu said as he passed Bakura a bundled of clothes and placed a shepherd's headdress over his white hair. "This should keep you from getting recognized."

"Thanks." Bakura mumbled.

"Thank Heba." Atemu replied. "It was his idea."

Bakura shrugged as noticed that the prince was dressed differently than the night before. The basic tunic, pants, cloak, and sandals that were well worn by travel were gone. In its place was an embroidered Egyptian tunic similar to Heba's, a dark purple cape on his shoulders, and fresh sandals on his feet. He still wore no crown, but was wearing some gold jewelry.

Bakura shook himself, quickly tugged off his red robe, and pulled cream colored shirt and slipped on the soft brown robe he had been offered. It was near the same design as his red one, but was just a different color. Slipping back a little, he tugged off his shorts and quickly pulled on the mid-calf length tan pants.

Bundling his clothes up, Bakura stuck them into his sack where he kept his food and quickly caught up, tearing one of the wanted posters off a nearby post and slapping it onto Zafiro's neck. The horse didn't like that, and soon, the two were caught up in a wrestling match of strength.

"Behave back there." Heba called, not bothering to look over his shoulder as one hand twirled one of his golden braids.

Zafiro and Bakura grudgingly separated, but gave each other the equivalent of an elbow in the stomach to one another before they started walking again.

By that time, Ryou had entered the village. He could hardly contain his excitement. People crowded the streets, talking, shopping, hanging out their laundry, and busily doing other chores and errands. He could smell cakes and bread baking. Up ahead, he saw beautiful fabrics and baskets hanging in market stalls. Small purple flags with a golden sun interlaced with a silver moon hung across the streets.

Everywhere Ryou looked, he saw the bustle of life and laughter. It was absolutely enchanting. He hurried forward, wanting to absorb it all. As he took another step forward, Ryou jumped back to avoid getting run over by a cart, bumping into a woman carrying some bread, startled some geese as he scampered away from the woman, and came to a halt due to his hair getting step on by multiple people.

Bakura, Heba, and Atemu were instantly at his side, each with an armful of silver hair, Heba was also carrying his golden braids, which were coming severely undone, in his other arm. He knew that moving from place to place with 70 ft. of hair and a lot of people was challenging. And quite frankly, he didn't want to carry around his hair all day during the festivities or have to worry about it becoming undone and tripping someone.

Bakura looked to the hair in his arm and then around the square they were in with a frown on his face. Soon, he spotted a group of young teenaged women, Tea, Rebecca, Mai, and Ishizu, who were doing each other's hair with bows and braids. Whistling to get thier attention, Bakura held up the silver and golden hair.

The girls' eyes widened when they saw all of the hair that had just been offered to them. Rushing forward to touch the gold and silver strands, they laughed and giggled as they quickly set to work brushing, combing, and braiding… and braiding… and braiding… and braiding.

Atemu and Bakura watched, with the occasional ducking and hiding to avoid being seen by palace guards. While the clothes and headdress helped hid him, he couldn't cover up his scar, and that was a dead giveaway for who he was. Slipping back out from behind Zafiro, who had kept the thief hidden while the guards passed, Bakura had to keep his jaw from dropping.

Ryou's silver hair had been elegantly braided and bundled down his back, the end of the braid above his ankles. Many different colors of flowers had also been woven into the length of hair, and added some, spice, to the boy.

Heba's hair was basically the same way, except his hair was tied at the base of his neck and braided into two braids instead of one. All in all, the girls were very pleased with themselves as Ryou and Heba twirled, modeling their new looks.

"Thank you!" Ryou gushed.

"It's wonderful." Heba agreed. "I should do my hair just like this every day. Minus the flowers, those would be for special occasions."

Bakura felt himself give a small rare smile. Heba did look nice, but Ryou looked gorgeous. He knew if he asked Atemu, the prince would say that Ryou looked nice, and Heba looked gorgeous. Glancing to the man, Bakura saw the prince, the Change of Heart, the horse, and even Heba were giving him looks that were mischievous, like they knew what he was currently thinking of Ryou.

"Ooh-la-la." Heba giggled as he nudged Bakura and kissed Atemu.

"Hubba-hubba." Atemu chuckled as Bakura glared at them.

"Go jump off a bridge." Bakura huffed.

But the conversation was quickly forgotten. Ryou wanted to see everything, try every piece of food, and even try on some different clothes. Every time he stopped at one vendor stall, he would spot something else nearby and pull Bakura after him as he went over to explore.

Eventually, Atemu stopped Ryou's frantic excitement by stating they needed to each lunch. While the four of them waited in line, Ryou kept glancing around, and spotted a mosaic of the kingdom's King and Queen cuddling with the lost baby princes'. The portrait was from just before the time the princes' were stolen.

"What are you doing with those flowers?" Heba's voice brought Ryou out of his thoughts, and he turned to see the girls who had braided their hair with some more flowers in their hands.

"It's for the lost princes'." Rebecca said as she placed a flower down under the mosaic with the other girls. "We honor them on the day of their birth, and hope that one day they'll return to us."

Ryou nodded as he and Heba looked closely at the picture. Both were mesmerized by the king and queen, and how similar they looked to themselves, and the silver haired prince was wearing the crown Ryou had tried on yesterday. As they studied the mosaic, some musicians passed by playing their instruments, distracting them.

When Atemu and Bakura finished paying for the food, they turned to see Heba and Ryou dancing to the music on the kingdom's emblem of the sun intertwined with the moon that had been paved into the street. They brought many other townspeople into the dance with them, young and old.

Heba beckoned to Atemu, who set the food he was holding in a bag before joining his husband. Ryou did the same to Bakura, who shook his head. He didn't dance. But a sharp bump from Zafiro pushed the thief into the dance. Bakura glared at the horse and the Change of Heart that was laughing on his back.

Once the dance was over, they ate lunch and went to get some dessert pastries to try. Ryou had never tasted anything so delicious, the sweet sugar melting on his tongue as he ate about half of them. A quick snort from Zafiro had Bakura hiding in an alley nearby as a patrol passed by.

Stopping a flag boy nearby, Bakura purchased a flag for Ryou. Yes, he did have money which he 'borrowed' from a snobby noble who would never even notice it was missing. Ryou grinned and thanked Bakura for the gift at he held it up to compare the sun intertwined with the moon on his flag to the ones hanging above the streets.

Spotting some chalk nearby, Heba asked permission from the people who owned it if he could use it. They agreed, stating that today they shared everything with everyone. Grinning, Heba grabbed some chalk and took it to Ryou. Both started to draw, and when they were finished, they had a perfect copy of the sun intertwined with the moon on a purple background.

After, they stopped at a bookstore. Ryou had only seen three books in his life, the ones that Pegasus had brought into his tower, and saw that the bookstore had hundreds of books. He eagerly pulled one off the shelf and began reading, learning and experiencing new things as he hopped from book to book, wanting to learn it all. And Bakura was next to him the whole time, pulling books from the shelves, gathering them on the floor, and sitting beside him as he tried to take it all in.

Once they managed to pull Ryou away from the bookstore, Heba insisted they go to the tailors. Inside, they each tried on a new outfit. Atemu wore a crimson shirt and black pants with calf high black boots. Heba wore the same as his husband, except his shirt was amethyst. Ryou wore a cream colored shirt and red pants with sandals, and Bakura wore a brown shirt and grey pants with sandals. The outfits looked so nice they ended up buying them, but decided to wear the outfits they had put on that morning.

Finding their way back to the square, a town crier leapt up onto a podium.

"It's time, good people!" the man called out. "Gather around, yes come and gather around! Today we dance to celebrate our lost princes'. It is a dance of hope, where partners start together, separate, and return to one another. And one day, our princes' will do the same for us and return!"

This time, Bakura started the dance with Ryou since he wasn't interested in getting bumped into it again by Zafiro. They twirled and danced over the emblem in the square, letting the music carry them and lift them as they moved fluently and gracefully. Atemu, Heba, Ryou, and Bakura all danced in time with the music. They started together, separated and danced with other partners, and then came together again. Heba with Atemu, and Ryou with Bakura.

The song ended just when Ryou thought it couldn't get any more magical as his and Bakura's eyes met, and locked.

"To the boats!" the town crier proclaimed as Ryou and Bakura separated, each blushing.

The entire, wonderful day had passed, and now night was falling. It was time to release the lanterns.

"You two go ahead." Atemu nodded to Bakura and Ryou. "I want to spend some more time alone with Heba."

"Suit yourself." Bakura shrugged as he and Ryou headed towards the harbor with Zafiro and Amane following.

"Atemu!" a girl with brown hair and green eyes squealed as she darted out of the crowd and tackled the Egyptian prince. "You're here! You're here! You're here!"

"Hello Mana." Atemu half-groaned half-chuckled.

"Mana, can you please get off my husband?" Heba asked.

The magician in training leapt up when she heard Heba's voice. She looked around wildly before spotting him with a grin on his face.

"Heba!" Mana screamed in delight. "You're okay! You're here! What happened? When did Atemu find you? Have you been with him long? You'd better not have or you're both in really big trouble. We've been worried sick!"

"Mana!" Atemu tugged the girl's hat. "I just found Heba yesterday afternoon. I haven't had time to send any messages. But why are you here?"

"A group of us are here as an embassy from Egypt, so we get to stay in the palace." Mana explained. "Master Mahad thinks it's educational for me to see a kingdom, besides Egypt I mean, in action."

"Who else with you?" Heba asked.

"Seth, Joey, Shada, and Aknadin." Mana answered.

"And where is Mahad?" Atemu snickered, knowing that Mana had probably ditched her teacher, like she had so many times in the past.

"Somewhere." Mana shrugged.

"Try right behind you." Mahad growled.

"Master!" Mana squeaked as she timidly looked at her teacher. "I didn't see you there…"

"I wonder why." Mahad sighed before smiling at Atemu and Heba. "It is good to see you both safe and in good health. Especially you Heba."

"Thank you Mahad." Heba nodded. "It's good to see you to."

"Yes it is." Atemu agreed as he kept an arm around Heba's waist. "I'm sure you want to see everyone who came along as well."

"Yes, it will especially be good to see Joey again." Heba nodded his head. "I've missed him. I've missed everyone. Even the way Seth glares at me when I don't hold my cup properly when I'm drinking."

"You do realize I'm going to hold you over this for the rest of your life don't you?" Seth's voice said from behind Heba.

"I would expect nothing less from my cousin-in-law." Heba smirked back.

"Hey Heba!" Joey grinned as he caught his friend in a headlock. "It's so good to see you again! Alive and kicking!"

"You to Joey." Heba replied as he wiggled his way out of his friends grasp. "But I do prefer breathing."

"I just love what you've done with your hair!" Mana gushed as she ran her fingers over the flowers and golden strands.

"I'm considering keeping the style." Heba replied. "It's so much easier to deal with."

"My prince, we must send a message to your father." Aknadin said as he gave a mild glare to Heba. "He will want to know that you've recovered your beloved."

"Yes, he will." Atemu replied as he pulled Heba close to him. "And I've no intentions of losing him ever again."

* * *

Bakura guided Ryou into a gondola with Amane on his shoulder. As Bakura pushed away from the docks, he looked back at Zafiro. The horse was too big to fit in the boat, so he would have to stay behind. But if Bakura was honest with himself, the horse had done a good job making sure that no one spotted him.

"Hey, Zafiro!" Bakura called as he tossed a bag of bright red apples to Zafiro, who glared at the thief. "What? I bought them."

Zafiro relaxed. If he had bought the apples, then it was okay. He hadn't broken the law. Lowering his head, the horse began to munch his treat.

"Most of them." Bakura chuckled as Zafiro stopped eating and looked torn at what to do with the juicy treats. "Just enjoy them."

Ryou gave Zafiro a wave and the horse relaxed again as he slowly nibbled at his treats. As they got further away from the dock, Ryou's curiosity grew.

"Where are we going?" Ryou asked as he looked to Bakura.

"Well, it's the best day of your life, right?" Bakura asked as he gently took Amane off Ryou's shoulder and placed her gently on a rope coiled knob. "I figured that you should have a decent seat."

Ryou smiled in confusion but soon saw what Bakura meant. He had rowed them out to the middle of the water surrounding the kingdom. It was the perfect view to watch the lanterns float up into the night.

"And now, we sit and wait." Bakura hummed as he laid the paddle down and leaned back to relax with his feet up.

"Hmm." Ryou sighed worriedly.

"You okay?" Bakura asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm terrified." Ryou confessed, staring at the water.

"You've faced down me, a top notched thief, a whole pub of ruffians, and a horse that has a zeal for putting me behind bars, and you're terrified?" Bakura's confusion was clarified at Ryou's nod. "Why?"

"I've been looking out a window all my life, dreaming about what it might feel like when those lights rise in the sky." Ryou explained. "What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?"

"It will be." Bakura replied with a rare smile that seemed to be getting more common.

"And what if it is?" Ryou asked, feeling overwhelmed by it all. "What do I do then?"

"Well, that's the good part I guess." Bakura replied as he turned his gaze back to the kingdom. "Whether it works out or not, you get to go find a new dream."

Ryou hummed softly, feeling at peace. Maybe his new dream would be to travel somewhere else. And maybe… Bakura would be with him.

* * *

Inside the castle, the king and queen were getting ready to launch the first lanterns, making sure that the other was presentable. As the queen adjusted her husband's sun and moon medallion that hung around his neck, she raised her brown eyes to see he had his head bowed and his eyes closed shut.

After the loss of Ryou and Yugi, the queen had been unable to conceive or carry another child. Knowing the feeling he was experiencing, the feeling that they experienced every year- the fear their children would never return to them- her faced dropped for a moment before she raised her hand to his face. The king smiled briefly as he leaned into her touch, tears spilling from his purple eyes. The queen offered a consoling smile as she whipped away the king's tears, and he held her hands for a brief moment before they stepped out onto the courtyard where they had presented Yugi and Ryou, and had launched the first lantern.

There were two lanterns, one for each of their lost sons, already lit on the balcony. They were tied to a stone pedestal by flame resistant ribbons. Slowly, the couple approached, each taking one lantern in their hands, and lifted them in to the sky at the same time.

Holding each other close, they watched the lanterns rise into the night as many more lanterns in the courtyard were lit. The light spread out the gate and down the streets, and down to the ships in the harbor. Every person in the kingdom old enough lit a lantern to release into the sky that night, hoping that their young royals would find their way home.

Amongst the people holding lanterns in the courtyard, were the group of Egyptians that were there to offer peace and trading. Apparently the crown prince had found his missing husband of two years. The king and queen were happy for them, but wished that they would find their missing children as well.

* * *

Back in the gondola, Bakura watched as Ryou pick one of many flowers from his hair and gently placed it on the water with all the others he had put there. Apparently, all of the stress was starting to get to him. The reflection of a couple of lights in the water caught his attention, and Ryou looked up, softly singing.

_All those days watching from the windows_

_All those years outside looking in_

_All that time never even knowing_

_Just how blind I've been_

Excited, Ryou jumped up and grabbed one of the high ends of the gondola, nearly rocking Bakura right out of the boat. He watched with baited breath as more and more lights rose up after the first two.

The lights came from the streets, the courtyard, and the ships. Everyone was letting the lights they were holding fly.

_Now I'm here, blinking in the starlight_

_Now I'm here, suddenly I see_

_Standing here, it's all so clear_

_I'm where I'm meant to be_

Hundreds upon thousands of floating lights filled the sky. Some lanterns were square shaped, and some were circles, but it was like you were floating in a sea of stars. Ryou sighed in content as he watched with dreamy eyes, realizing this was everything he dreamed of, and more.

_And at last I see the light, and it's like the fog has lifted_

_And at last I see the light, and it's like the sky is new_

_And it's warm and real and bright, and the world has somehow shifted_

_All at once, everything looks different, now that I see you_

Getting a feeling, Ryou turned to see Bakura was holding onto two lit lanterns in his hands. He had gotten them in the village and hid them in the boat, waiting for this moment as a surprise for Ryou. Ryou grinned at the gift as he sat back down.

"I have something for you, too." Ryou admitted before he reached down and pulled out Bakura's satchel. "I should have given it to you before, but I was just scared. And the thing is, I'm not scared anymore. You know what I mean?"

Ryou wanted Bakura to understand. He wanted to confess to the thief that Pegasus had told him that people like Bakura were evil. But now… now Ryou believed in Bakura.

Bakura blinked in shock as Ryou's words registered in his mind. He knew the crowns were in that satchel, but after all he had been through with Ryou, it didn't mean that much to him anymore. Putting a hand on top of the sack, he pushed it back down out of sight.

"I'm starting to." Bakura answered the teen's question, completely disregarding the bag.

Ryou smiled, and Bakura smiled back. Taking hold of one of the lanterns, Ryou and Bakura let them float into the sky amongst all the other lights, watching as the two seemed to dance with each other. As they continued to watch the lights, Bakura found his thoughts were softly turning into a song.

_All those days chasing down a daydream_

_All those years living in a blur_

_All that time never truly seeing_

_Things the way they were_

Bakura kept smiling as he watched Ryou lift a lantern that was low to the water up into the sky. Ryou's enthusiasm and way of seeing the world had brought Bakura out of his 'thieving rut', and now he desired to make Ryou happy. And if that meant giving up stealing and getting a real job, then so be it.

_Now he's here, shining in the starlight_

_Now he's here, suddenly I know_

_If he's here, it's crystal clear_

_I'm where I meant to go_

Bakura reached his hand out and gently took Ryou's soft and smooth and into his large rough one. Ryou didn't mind at all, he just blushed softly as he smiled back at the man who had captured his heart. Eyes shining in happiness, the two started to sing together.

_And at last, I see the light, and it's like the fog has lifted_

_And at last, I see the light, and it's like the sky is new_

_And it's warm and real and bright, and the world has somehow shifted_

_All at once, everything is different, now that I see you_

Ryou and Bakura leaned closer together, and Amane blushed as she realized they were going to kiss! Covering her eyes and wrapping her wings around her, Amane decided to give them a little privacy.

Okay, maybe one little peak wouldn't hurt.

_Now that I… see you._

Bakura brushed a loose bang back behind Ryou's ear and cradled the back of his head. Their eyes slid shut as they leaned closer… and closer… and closer together.

* * *

**MMMG:** End of chapter!

**Ryou:** What!?

**Bakura:** How dare you!?

**MMMG:** What's the matter Bakura? Upset that I cut off your kiss?

-Bakura sulks with Ryou in his arms-

**Atemu:** While Bakura is acting childish, please review!

**Yugi:** Please tell us your favorite part, least favorite part, spelling/grammar mistakes we may have missed, (this story does not have a beta), questions, etc. Have a nice day, or night, depending on where you live.


	10. Chapter 10: The truth

**MMMG:** And here is chapter 10!

**Bakura:** Finally!

**MMMG:** What do you mean 'finally'? It's only been two weeks.

**Ryou****:** Ignore him, he antsy because you cut off the kiss last chapter.

**MMMG:** Oh yeah. -smirks evily- I did do that, didn't I?

**Marik:** Where am I?

**Malik:** Where are you? Where am _I_?

**MMMG:** Calm down. Marik, you're in the next chapter, (chapter 11), and Malik is in the chapter following, (chapter 12).

**Ryou:** MMMG does not own Yugioh, Disney's 'Tangled', or Disney's 'Tangled: Junior Novellization'. Enjoy the chapter!

**MMMG:** One other thing. If you see the name 'Akefia' in the chapter, it's there on purpose. Not everyone knows Bakura's real name, and call him by what they know him as.

* * *

And in case if you haven't noticed, I have a new cover for this story! It's the kingdom's emblem of the sun and moon intertwined with each other.

* * *

_YumiStar: Yes we do love using cliffhangers._

_Animesaki: I was actually blushing when I wrote that part. Glad you like OOC Atemu saying 'Hubba Hubba'. He has to tease Bakura somehow. Read the chapter and let me know if your guess was right so I can get a picture of you kissing Mokuba for ten seconds and then protecting yourself with chain saw and a gunblade when Seto comes after you._

_Wordsorcereress: You'll see if Ryou gets a kiss. Yes, you can punch Pegasus and I'd be glad to help. -gets out a ball with spikes on a long chain- Ready!_

_Fallinghikari: Good. Wodrsorcereress and I would like to join you with our clubs and spiked metal balls._

_anonimous: I knew someone was going to freak out about that. It's called a cliffhanger for a reason. I thought it was a good place to end the chapter, and cool your jets! They do kiss! Like, right now!_

_SailorDeathMoon: Because I'm evil! -grins madly-_

* * *

Chapter 10: The truth

* * *

Pushing any uneasy feelings he had aside, Bakura let his eyes slide close, and press his tough leathery lips to Ryou's soft ones. He felt like he died and gone to the afterlife.

Kissing Ryou was the most wonderful thing he had ever done, and that was saying something since he always got a huge thrill out of stealing, but this was even better. Ryou smelled of a delightful sweet he had tried once called chocolate, and strawberries. Maybe it was what Ryou had eaten earlier, but Bakura found he didn't mind at all.

Any butterflies Ryou had earlier went flying out the window. Who knew that one kiss could calm your nerves? He sure hadn't, but really enjoyed kissing the man who smelled of the woods and, Ryou couldn't place it, but it reminded him that Bakura was dangerous. And the combination thrilled him.

When they finally pulled apart, Ryou sighed and laid his head on Bakura's shoulder. The thief didn't protest, but wrapped an arm around the teen's shoulders as he scanned the lake and the rest of the lanterns that were starting to fade from view.

And then he saw them. Standing on the opposite shore, and holding a lantern that gave green light, stood Arkana and Pandora. They were looking right at the boat, right at him, and right at Ryou. Despite the distance, Bakura held their gaze with a frown. Once they noticed he had spotted them, the twins disappeared behind some large rocks.

"Is everything okay?" Ryou asked, having lifted his head and seeing the upset look on Bakura's face.

"Huh?" Bakura blinked as he got his attention back into focus on the silver haired boy. "Yes, yes, of course. I just..."

Just what, Bakura wasn't exactly sure. But knew that as long as he had the satchel, or the crowns, Arkana and Pandora would never stop hunting for him. Frowning once again, Bakura picked up the paddled and rowed them to shoreline when he had spotted his ex-partners in crime, except this time he was ready to face them.

"Everything is fine." Bakura reassured Ryou as he tugged the boat ashore so it wouldn't float off and picked up the satchel. "There's just something I have to take care of."

"Okay." Ryou smiled.

"I'll be right back." Bakura promised.

Bakura turned to walk into the growing fog, the satchel in his hand. Amane crawled up onto Ryou's shoulder, cooing in worry. She may not have known the thief for very long, but the Kuriboh who had changed into a boy had explained the situation to her.

"It's all right Amane." Ryou soothed, petting one of her wings before looking in the direction Bakura had gone.

* * *

Ryou, their journey together, all of it had changed Bakura's view on the world. He was in love with Ryou and wanted to make things right, no longer wanting to be a thief, a lone highwayman always running away from one thing or another.

Searching the bushes, Bakura quickly found Pandora perched on a rock, sharpening a piece of wood with one of his knives. Knowing he had to tread carefully, Bakura stepped out into the small clearing and tossed the satchel down in front of him, revealing both crowns were still in the bag.

"There, you've got what you wanted." Bakura said as the man looked over at him. "The crowns are all yours. Now we never have to see each other again."

"Holding out on us again, eh, Akefia?" Arkana asked directly behind the Thief King.

"What?" Bakura growled as he turned to face the other brother.

"We heard you found something, something much more valuable than a crown." Pandora explained as he walked over, kicking the crowns aside like they were worthless pieces of trash. "We want _him_ instead."

Any confusion Bakura may have felt vanished when the twins glanced in the direction of the boat, and Ryou. He then realized that the two must have somehow found out about the magical properties of Ryou's hair, and that's why they were no longer interested in the crowns.

Not willing to let them get to Ryou, Bakura lunged forward, and began to fight. It was the one fight he could not afford to lose.

For Ryou's sake.

* * *

Ryou stood on the bank, clutching the tall bow of the ship. Bakura had been gone an awfully long time, and was starting to get worried. Relief washed over the teen once he saw someone's shadow come closer to him.

"I was starting to think you ran off with the crown and left me." Ryou sighed with an extremely nervous laugh.

Then the shadow did something it shouldn't have. It split into two. Ryou's eyes widened as two masked men approached him, each wearing and evil looking grin.

"He did." Arkana replied to Ryou's statement.

"What?" Ryou asked, feeling confused and panicked before summon the courage he had used many time on this journey. "No, he wouldn't."

"See for yourself." Pandora smirked as he pointed out to the water.

Ryou looked to see Bakura standing at the helm of a small yacht, sailing away from the land Ryou was on and towards the kingdom.

"Bakura!" Ryou called out to the man.

But Bakura didn't reply, or even turn his head. Ryou felt crushed. Why did Bakura leave him? What had happened?

"A fair trade." Pandora grinned as he and his brother closed in around Ryou. "A couple of crowns for the boy with the magic hair."

Ryou gasped as he whirled around, still not understanding how this could be happening, how Bakura could betray him. Had Bakura really traded him and his hair for the things in the satchel, the crowns, which would bring him some reward money?

"How much do you think someone would pay to stay young and healthy forever?" Arkana asked his brother with an evil smirk as he picked up the large sack that he intended to use to catch Ryou.

"No. No, please… no!" Ryou pleaded as they bore down on him, so he turned and fled as fast as he could. "No!"

Running through the dark and fog was hard, but there was just enough light for Ryou to see where he was going. Rounding a boulder and jumping over a log, his long braid snagged on the dead wood, holding the silver haired boy back. Terrified, Ryou pulled on his hair as he struggled to get free.

And then Ryou heard a couple of thuds, grunts and more thuds. Ryou stopped for a moment, wondering what happened, but still wary.

"Ryou!" Pegasus' voice called from back where the two thugs were.

"Father?" Ryou shakily asked.

Walking back, Ryou's hair came loose. As he rounded the corner, he saw his father, looking like he had more white hair then silver and wrinkles on his face, with a large and sturdy branch in his hand, Pandora and Arkana unconscious at his feet.

"Oh, my precious boy." Pegasus said, his voice brimming with emotions.

"Father." Ryou sighed in relief, and the two ran forward to embrace.

"Are you all right?" Pegasus asked as he began to check Ryou over. "Are you hurt?"

"Father, how did you…" Ryou gasped, unable to finish his question.

"I was so worried about you dear, so I followed." Pegasus replied, wringing his hands. "And I saw them attack you and… oh my. Let's go, let's go, before they come too."

Pegasus headed towards the forest. But Ryou didn't follow. He looked to the small boat on the water that carried Bakura further and further away. Ryou slowly turned back to Pegasus, who was holding one of his green lanterns. His eyes grew blank, and his heart grew numb. Pegasus didn't say a thing, but held out his arms to the boy. Tears filled Ryou's arms and he ran into the embrace.

"You were right, Father." Ryou admitted, never having felt such deep sorrow in all of his life. "You were right about everything. I'll never leave you again."

"I know, darling." Pegasus replied in a sad and sympathetic tone as he held Ryou close, picked up his lantern, and guided the boy back towards the tower. "I know."

A small smile curled at Pegasus' mouth, unseen by Ryou. Pegasus had planned this whole series of events. He had tricked Pandora and Arkana into helping him trap the Thief King, and tie him to a ship, unconscious. He had promised them a boy with silver hair that would bring them great wealth, and then betrayed them, knocking them unconscious.

All for the sake of another lie. Once again, Pegasus had to make Ryou believe that he was the only person in the world that he could trust. And he would use any means to reach that goal.

* * *

Out in one of the kingdom's harbors, a small yacht was approaching one of the docks. It wasn't because Bakura was steering it, no. Pandora and Arkana had knocked him out cold and tied him to the mast under Pegasus' instructions. They had also tied both of the crowns tightly to Bakura's hands, knowing what would happen when the palace guards found the ship, the thief, and the crowns.

Bakura was still unconscious when the current slammed the ship into one of the kingdom docks. Two nearby palace guards, Duke and Tristan, heard the wood meet stone, and looked around from the top of the turret they were on.

"Look!" Duke gasped, seeing the sparkling gems inlaid in metal. "The crowns!"

"And looks who is steering the ship." Tristan added. "Thief King Akefia!"

"Ryou." Bakura groaned as he woke up, and looked around.

He was confused as to how he had gotten tied down to a boat, and then remembered Arkana and Pandora. They must have set him up, but all Bakura cared about now was what happened to Ryou.

"Ryou!" Bakura called out.

Bakura looked back to the other shore, desperately searching for some sign of the silver haired boy he had fallen for. But the fog was so thick he couldn't see anything over halfway across the water. Then came the sound of many footsteps of the palace guards. Turning back, Bakura could only watch and struggle as they leapt onto the boat, untied him from the ship, bind him in shackles, and drag him away.

"Ryou!" Bakura screamed as he was hauled away, desperately trying to free himself.

No one else witnessed his arrest. Except Zafiro. The faithful horse was waiting on the dock that Ryou and Bakura had departed from, and had the perfect view of the thief getting himself arrested.

Zafiro snorted, and laid back his ears in mild anger. He had promised Ryou to keep the man out of trouble for 24 hours, and the time limit was not up yet. After a quick glance at the shore Ryou was on, Zafiro followed the guards back to the palace jail. Seeing how deep the man was in the jail, Zafiro quickly turned and raced out the kingdom gates.

If he was going to free the man, he had to find help, and fast.

* * *

Heba yawned as he woke the next morning, and snuggled back into Atemu's warmth. Yesterday had been exhausting, but totally worth it. While he had yet to actually meet the king and queen, he had heard they were very nice people.

"Wake up! Wake up!" Mana yelled as she ran into their room. "You won't believe what's just happened! Wake up!"

"You have two second to leave this room before I do something rash." Atemu mumbled as he gave the best glare he could give in the morning.

"But an all-time high thief has been caught!" Mana protested. "Mahad said we could watch the court and sentence being carried out."

"All-time high thief?" Heba repeated, getting a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Get up Atemu."

"I'm moving." Atemu groaned as he sat up, the sheets pooling at their hip, but revealed that they weren't wearing anything underneath.

"A little warning next time?" Mana wailed as she covered her eyes and fled the room.

"You'd think she caught us while we were in the middle of something." Atemu scoffed as he crossed over to the nearby wardrobe to select his clothes.

"She did one time, remember?" Heba reminded his husband as he joined him, a slight limp present in his walk.

"Oh yeah." Atemu shook his head before leering at his husband.

"Keep your mind out of the gutter." Heba scolded the man with a punch. "If the all-time thief is Bakura, then where's Ryou? Was he caught to? And where's Zafiro? Wasn't he supposed to keep them safe?"

"All good questions." Atemu agreed as they quickly pulled on some clothes. "Maybe we can slip down to the dungeons and ask Bakura."

"Let's go then." Heba replied after he tugged on his sandals.

* * *

Bakura didn't move as he sat in his dark cell. It was cold, smelly, he was chained to the wall, and there was a _rat_ in practically every direction you looked. But none of that mattered to the ex-thief, all he wanted to know was if Ryou was alright, where he was, and whether or not he was hurt or in trouble.

In all honestly, Bakura blamed himself. If he hadn't accepted the job with Pandora and Arkana, he wouldn't have stolen the crowns and gotten mixed up with those two. But then again, he wouldn't have met Ryou, either.

The cell door opened and Bakura looked up to see Captain Raphael and… Heba?

"What are you doing here?" Bakura muttered.

"We found out you were caught." Heba explained quietly as soon as he entered the cell. "Atemu is talking with the king and queen now, to see if we can postpone your sentencing."

"Oh." Bakura nodded and then a bit of his old self came back to him. "Where's Ryou?"

"That's what I was going to ask you." Heba replied with a worried look. "We hoped Ryou had been caught with you, but based on your reaction, he wasn't."

"No." Bakura shook his head. "Two other criminals knocked me out in a fight and sent me back to the kingdom with the crowns. Ryou is probably still on the opposite shore."

"I smell a rat, and his name is Pegasus." Heba sneered, a look that he had learned from his husband. "I have a really bad feeling. We need to get to the tower."

"_You_ need to get to the tower." Bakura corrected bitterly as he held up his shackled wrists. "I'm a criminal, and they're not letting me out any time soon."

"Times up." Raphael said from outside of the cell door, not having heard a single word of the conversation.

"Find him." Bakura commanded. "And get him back here."

"Duh." Heba rolled his eyes as he exited the cell.

"You're lucky the prince and his husband are interceding on your behalf." Raphael said once Heba had exited the dungeons. "I don't get why. They're just delaying the inevitable."

Bakura didn't reply. All he could do now was hope that Heba and Atemu got to Ryou and got him away from the man called Pegasus.

* * *

Back at the tower, Pegasus had been working all morning to undo the braids and flowers that were in Ryou's hair. Plucking the last one free, Pegasus ran his youthful hand threw the silver locks, Ryou having sung for him a little earlier.

"There, it never happened." Pegasus soothed as he tossed the flower into a basket where he had collected the rest. "Now, wash up for dinner. I'm making hazelnut soup."

Ryou didn't reply to the promise of his favorite meal. He just sat on his bed with his hands in his lap and his head hung. He was dazed by everything that had happened.

"I really did try, Ryou, I tried to warn you what was out there." Pegasus sighed as he shut the curtains to the boy's room. "The world is dark and selfish and cruel. If it finds even the slightest ray of sunshine, it destroys it."

Ryou glanced up once Pegasus was gone. A soft coo had him glance over to Amane. The Change of Heart sensed how sad Ryou was and had tears in her eyes as she snuggled close to the boy. Ryou smiled at her before directing his attention to his hands.

Opening them, he looked at the kingdom flag, small and purple with a gold sun intertwined with a silver moon. Ryou stared at the flag as his thought jumped to Bakura, Heba, Atemu, the thugs at the tavern, and the people in the kingdom. What had gone wrong? Ryou flopped back with a sigh, still not truly believing that Bakura had taken the crowns and left him.

As Ryou stared at the ceiling, he noticed something. Squinting his eyes, Ryou held up his flag, pulled it away, and repeated the actions several time as he looked at his paintings. The sun and moon on the flag seemed to be in his paintings and filling empty spaces in between the art.

The kingdom's symbol fit into Ryou's art, in nearly every place on his murals. All these years, and without even realizing it, he had been incorporating the outline of the golden sun and silver moon into his work.

A flood of images filled Ryou's head as he recalled Bakura said that the lanterns were launched for the missing princes' on their birthday, _his_ birthday! He saw the sun and moon intertwined above him, and two blurred people off to the side. The pictures shifted to the mosaic of the king, queen, and their children. The queen and the silver haired baby both had the same brown eyes, while the golden haired baby had the same eyes as the king.

And lastly, Ryou remembered how he had felt when he tried on one of the crowns when Bakura had first arrived at his tower. He recalled wondering who the person in the mirror was, and everything fell into place. At long last, Ryou knew exactly who he was.

* * *

Despite it being dark in his cell, the small window Bakura had gave the perfect view of Heba and Atemu's feet as they walked over to the fastest horses the kingdom could provide for them. They had ridden off about an hour ago, and that was the time limit they had been given. They only had one hour to bring back Ryou so he could tell his story to the king and queen, his tale of what had happened after the man had stolen the crowns.

Raphael opened the cell door, this time with Valon and Alister on either side of him. He glared at the thief with nothing less than disgust.

"Let's get this over with, Akefia." Raphael said flatly.

"Where are we going?" Bakura asked.

Bakura was hoping that Heba and Atemu had gotten back with Ryou. But the stern look from the young captain said otherwise. He was in trouble. After all, he had stolen the lost princes' crowns, and the punishment… was death by hanging, unless someone spoke in his defense and was proven right. But it looks like Heba and Atemu weren't back yet. All he could do was hope they were just getting into the courtyard now.

As the guards escorted him through the jail, Bakura spotted Pandora and Arkana in another cell. A cold furry built up in him. He had disliked them before, but he _hated_ them now. They had put Ryou in some sort of danger. Slamming Valon and Alister to the side, Bakura seized the front of Arkana's shirt.

"How did you know about him?" Bakura demanded as he spit in anger, needing to know how they knew about Ryou. "Tell me, now!"

"It wasn't us." Arkana protested. "It was the old man."

"Old man..." Bakura questioned.

As the gears whirled in his mind, something Heba had said clicked. Pegasus used Ryou's hair to keep him young, when really he was an old man that could die at any moment. And Heba had said that Pegasus was a rat. Everything made sense.

But the guards didn't share his brainstorm. They roughly pulled him back from the bars and forced him to move forward once again.

"No!" Bakura protested as he tried to buck the men off. "He's in trouble! Let go!"

His only reply was to be shoved forward forcefully, towards his death.

* * *

**MMMG:** End of chapter!

**Bakura:** What?!

**Ryou:** MMMG has a thing for cliffhangers lately.

**MMMG:** The Snuggly Duckling rescue is next chapter. _That's_ going to be fun. -grins-

**Yugi:** Where are Atemu and I?

**MMMG:** You went to the forrest across the water to get Ryou. You're not back yet.

**Yugi:** Oh.

**Atemu:** Please reivew! Favorite part, least favorite part, spelling/grammar mistakes, questions, etc.


	11. Chapter 11: The Rescue

**MMMG:** And I'm back with chapter 11!

**Bakura:** Can I get out of jail and rescue Ryou now?

**MMMG:** Keep your shirt on, I'm working on it!

**Ryou:** What shirt?

**MMMG:** Good point. -eyes shirtless Bakura before kicking him out of the room with Ryou- Go have a make out session or something!

**Seto:** You're weird.

**MMMG:** No, I'm a fangirl.

**Joey:** MMMG does not own Yugioh, Disney's 'Tangled', or Disney's 'Tangled Junior Novelization'. Enjoy the story!

* * *

_dragonwolf416: Thanks for noticing the mistake. _

_Wordsorcereress: Yep, Ryou got his kiss. I hate that they didn't do that in the movie. Bob will reappear. I'm actually still trying to figure out how I want to end the story. Good guess, and I'm not sure about the wedding. Maybe I'll do it wtih my own twist._

_Animelover0818: Wow, lots of questions. 1. Yes, Heba's name wil change back to Yugi next chapter. 2. Because I didn't think of it, and I can't really see anyone but Bakura riding Diabound. Sorry Raphael. 5. Yes, i would appreciate a Beta, but conntacting me wil be very hard due to me having lack of internet at times. 6. Seto and Joey are minor characters, so they make small random apperances. 7. Search me, and there's another at the end of this chapter, fair warning. -ducks pitchfork- I said fair warning! 8. What seems to be the issue with putting up your stories?_

_Killer-Fangirl: Hee, hee, hee! Fluffy Bunny Kura, you make me laugh. _

_Fallinghikari: Don't forget the creepy crawly insects that Pegasus hates to get in his hair! Ha ha!_

_Animesaki: Aw, I wanted to know what your guess was. Could you tell me anyway?_

_BabyNinetails: There is a group you can join for this story. We're all dedicated to the destruction of Pegasus. And yes, Ryou will be okay, physically. _

_SailorDeathMoon: Absolutely you can join! We need all the ammo possible. Dibs on the flamethrower!_

* * *

Chapter 11: The Rescue

* * *

"Ryou?" Pegasus called up to the boy, and began to climb the stairs when he didn't receive a reply. "Ryou, what's going on up there?"

The quiet bothered Pegasus, and he was extremely anxious to put this whole, nasty, 'I'm independent' business, behind them. And the sooner the better.

Ryou softly gasped for breath as he slowly stood up. Everything was falling into place, in one way or another. Walking forward, he moved towards the curtains that separated his room from the rest of the tower.

"Are you all right?" Pegasus asked as Ryou parted the draping cloth.

"I'm one of the lost princes." Ryou said softly, his realization finally sinking in.

"Please speak up, Ryou." Pegasus snarled, not hearing what his son had said. "You know how I hate the mumbling."

"I am one of the lost princes!" Ryou repeated, loudly and clearly, as he turned an angry look to Pegasus. "Aren't I?"

Pegasus' eyes grew wide as he froze stock-still, and his mind ran wild. The secret he had worked to keep hidden for so long, had finally been exposed.

"Did I mumble, _Father_?" Ryou asked coldly. "Or should I even call you that?"

"Oh Ryou, did you even hear yourself?" Pegasus asked in a dismissal way as he tried to regain control of the situation. "Why would you ask such a ridiculous question?"

Pegasus climbed the remaining stairs to hug the boy. But Ryou was having none of it. He pushed the man away as hard as he could.

"It was you!" Ryou accused. "It was all you!"

"Everything that I did was to protect _you_." Pegasus replied just as cold as his son, a tone he didn't use very often around the boy.

Ryou panted as he viewed Pegasus with a new feeling: disgust. Shoving the man out of the way, Ryou began to descend the stairs, not wanting to be near the man he had called 'Father'. Pegasus had lied to him his whole life. He had been lying ever since he had stolen him away from his parents.

"Ryou!" Pegasus snapped, never having been pushed by the teen before.

"I've spent my entire life hiding from people who would use me for my power..." Ryou's thoughts spilled out of his mouth as he moved.

"Ryou!" Pegasus shouted, trying to get the teen to stop.

"… when I should have been hiding... from you!" Ryou stopped at the foot of the stairs, glaring at Pegasus.

"Where will you go?" Pegasus asked sharply. "That thief won't be there for you."

"What did you do to him?" Ryou demanded, the love he felt for Bakura swelling in his heart and giving him the courage to stand up to Pegasus.

"That criminal is to be hanged for his crimes." Pegasus replied cruelly.

"No." Ryou gasped, horrified. "I love him."

Pegasus could tell that Ryou was upset. He moved closer to make the most out of this opportunity. He could still get Ryou to stay.

"I know you think you do, dear." Pegasus said in his most soothing, silkiest voice. "Now listen to me. All of this is as it should be."

Pegasus reached his hand out to pat Ryou's head, as if he was a small child. Ryou saw the motion and his hand grabbed Pegasus firmly by the wrist.

"No!" Ryou snapped firmly as he prevented Pegasus from getting out of his grip. "You were wrong about the world, and you were wrong about me. I am not stupid. And I will never let you use my hair again!"

At his declaration, Ryou twisting Pegasus' arm and shoved the man away and into the full length mirror. The mirror fell over onto its side and shattered, the broken shards dropping to the floor. Pegasus panted as he looked from the broken mirror to the teenager he had raised. Ryou only glared before he turned and defiantly walked towards the window.

"You want me to be the bad guy?" Pegasus asked with a glare as he slowly followed Ryou. "Fine. Now I'm the bad guy."

Pegasus had given Ryou the chance to go back to the way things used to be. Now, he would use stronger means to keep the boy with the magic silver hair imprisoned.

* * *

Bakura struggled against the guards that kept him walking forward. He had to save Ryou! But the men of the kingdom didn't care, and they kept walking. As they passed a window, Bakura received a perfect view of the gallows he was to be hung from. Looking around in desperation, Bakura spotted a little ceramic unicorn sitting on the stone window.

Wait… little ceramic unicorn?

The door in front of Raphael slammed shut and locked. The door behind them and the door next to the escort group slamming closed as well. Bakura felt a new hope start to build in him. Did this mean…?

"What's this?" Raphael snarled and pounded on the door that had slammed shut in his face. "Open up!"

The little wooden door that made a window for messages to be passed through without actually opening the door opened to reveal… Bob?

"What's the password?" Bob, our favorite drunk and sober at the same time Snuggly Duckling thug, asked before he quickly shut the tiny door again.

"What?" Raphael asked in confusion.

"Nope." Bob opened the tiny door to snicker his response before shutting the door.

"Open this door!" Raphael demanded.

"Not even close!" Bob huffed as he shut the little door in dismissal, again.

"You have three seconds to open this door." Raphael threatened. "One!"

A sudden rush of air on Bakura's left had him and Valon turn to see that Alister had been hooked into the rafters by the fishing fiend thug, Mako.

"Two..." Raphael continued counting, oblivious to what had just happened behind him.

Valon gaped at the sight of his lover stuck in the ceiling. Ushio opened the door right next to him and yanked him through, leaving Bakura all by himself.

"Three..." Raphael turned to give orders to his men to ram down the door.

But only Bakura stood there with an amused expression on his face. Waving a hand at the captain, Bakura snickered as Dartz opened the door behind the man and wacked him upside the head with a frying pan from his tavern. Raphael fell to the ground, unconscious.

"You just _got_ to love frying pans!" Bakura cackled.

"Indeed we do." Mako grinned as he hung upside down from the ceiling while Ushio undid the shackles on Bakura's wrists.

Never before had Bakura been more grateful to the thugs that had come to bust him out of jail. And while he didn't know why, he really didn't care as long as he got out with his life and the chance to rescue Ryou, so he decided to leap at the opportunity.

A strong bang on the door behind them made Bakura turn as another bang sounded out before the third one made the door break apart. A group of guards came charging in at the group. Dartz touched Bakura's wrist briefly, indicating that the man should follow him. Bakura sprinted after the turquoise haired man as Ushio ran down a different hallway and Mako flipped back into the rafters, dropping Alister on some of the guards.

Duke, Tristan, and a now recovered Valon, ran after Bakura and Dartz. Bakura hoped that Dartz knew the way out, because he sure didn't. He only knew the exterior of the palace, not the interior. But it seemed that Dartz knew where he was going and what he was doing as he led Bakura passed another Snuggly Duckling thug.

Strings held up a hand in a stop position. Duke, Tristan, and Valon looked at the mime in confusion and a bit of awe of Strings pantomimed being trapped behind a wall before assuming a look out position, looking into a wall. A huge bellow had the three turn to see Ushio charging right at them. The three screamed, unable to move out of the way in time, and got plowed over. Strings put his hands to his face.

Dear, or, dear.

Dartz led the way into the courtyard where the gallows was, Bakura groaning at the sight of the wood and rope. Mako ran out after them as more guards from the palace swarmed out of other doors and down stairs. There was no way they could fight off that many guards.

Mako and Dartz grabbed Bakura and positioned him just so on a large cart, but Bakura didn't notice that. He was a bit distracted by the guards.

"Head down." Mako instructed as he showed Bakura what to do.

"Head down." Bakura repeated, not one for following instructions, but if it got him out of here, he'd swallow his pride for a few minutes.

"Arms in." Mako gave the next instruction, again moving into the stance Bakura needed to be in as well.

"Arms in." Bakura mumbled as he held his arms tight at his sides.

"Knees apart." Mako grinned as he widened his feet.

"Knees apart." Bakura copied before bewilderment hit him. "Knees apart?"

Behind him and unseen, Ushio jumped from the third story balcony. There was one spot he _had_ to land on, otherwise it was all over.

"Why do I need to keep my knees apart?" Bakura demanded.

Mako just smirked as Ushio landed right on target. It worked perfectly. The large cart worked as a seesaw catapult and launched Bakura into the air. The man held down any screams as he flew through the air, wanting to laugh at the expression on the faces of the palace guards, but decided against it.

Landing on top of the wall, Bakura was shocked to see he was mounted on Zafiro's back. The 24 hour time frame was up, so the horse didn't need to protect him anymore. Then why…?

"Zafiro." Bakura panted as he recovered from his flight. "You brought them here?"

Zafiro nodded briefly. He had hoped Bakura would finally notice what an excellent horse he was. Originally, the equine had only done this for Ryou, but the thief had actually grown on him. Just a little bit.

"Thank you." Bakura nodded his head. "Now let's go save Ryou."

Zafiro snorted happily. It was the first time they agreed on something, and it definitely was something that was worthwhile. The door behind them slammed open with guards that held crossbows coming out, and Bakura ducked some arrows that flew over his head. Zafiro leapt forward and charged towards the end of the wall.

"I sure hope you know what you're doing!" Bakura snapped as more guards ran along the top of the wall, trying to cut them off.

Zafiro neighed as he jumped off of the palace wall. It was then that Bakura noticed several things. One, they weren't going to make it across the small moat that separated the castle from the kingdom. And two, the horse he was riding now wore no saddle.

As Bakura realized this second detail, a pair of tan wing sprouted from the equine's back. Zafiro wasn't just a horse; he was a rare breed of flying horses called _Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus_. Looks like the sky really was the limit now.

"Alright Zafiro, let's see how fast you can fly!" Bakura exclaimed.

Zafiro whinnied as they flew over the town, people stopping to point at the sight. Soon, they left the island kingdom behind and were flying over the forested main land. Hopefully they would reach Ryou in time.

Eventually, Zafiro had to land and run since he didn't know the way to Ryou's tower from the air. But they found the entrance using teamwork so they didn't fall off a cliff to find it, like they did the last time. Dark clouds blanketed the sky by the time they reached the base of the tower, Bakura leapt off Zafiro, letting the equine rest after the long and sleepless night he had just had.

"Ryou?" Bakura called up, desperately hoping he was safe. "Ryou, answer me or let down your hair!"

No response. Gritting his teeth, Bakura began to climb the tower wall with his bare hands. A creaking sound caught his attention. _Swoosh_! Ryou's silver hair glided out of the window and down the tower. He was alive! Grabbing the hair, Bakura climbed up as fast as he could. At last, he made it to the window and hauled himself inside.

"Ryou, I thought I'd never see you again." Bakura admitted as he panted for breath, and stopped short.

In the darkness, he saw the broken shards of the mirror and Ryou kneeling, chained to a wall and gagged. Ryou's brown eyes were wide with fear as he stared at something Bakura hadn't noticed.

"Bakura, look out!" Ryou's voice was muffled, and came too late.

Bakura felt a sharp point pierce his skin and the cold metal of Pegasus' dagger enter his abdomen. Pain overwhelmed the thief and he crumpled to the floor. He had never felt physical pain like this before, except for when he was given his scar after his family was murdered. But that had been lines on the surface of his skin, and that pain paled in comparison to the agony he felt now.

"Bakura!" Ryou screamed through the rag covering his mouth.

"Now look what you've done, Ryou." Pegasus stated coolly as he looked down on the man he had just injured before stepping over him. "Oh, don't worry, dear. Our secret will die with him."

"Bakura!" Ryou struggled to get to the man. "Bakura!"

While Ryou hadn't originally understood what Pegasus was doing, he did now. Pegasus was going to leave Bakura here to die, and he wasn't going to let that happen. Ryou needed to save the man he loved with his hair.

"And as for _us_…" Pegasus sheathed his dagger so he could unchain Ryou from the wall and began to drag the boy to the hidden entrance in the floor. "We are going where no one would ever find you again!"

"Bakura!" Ryou screamed as he fought against Pegasus' pulling.

Amane had been watching from the shadows, her angel side keeping her hidden from Pegasus. But her demon side flared at the sight of Pegasus manhandling Ryou when it was obvious that he didn't want to go with. With a screech, the Change of Heart launched herself at Pegasus' face, claws at the ready. The man yelled in terror, letting go of Ryou's chain.

Ryou crawled forward while Pegasus was occupied. If he could just reach his hair to Bakura, he could save him. He had to.

Pegasus slapped his hands around, eventually coming into contact with Amane. Grabbing her by the wings, Pegasus flung the small Change of Heart across the room, where she lay still. Noticing where Ryou was going, Pegasus reached for the chain.

_SMACK!_

"Augh!" Pegasus yelled as his hand suddenly stung.

"Don't even think about it." Heba snarled, holding a braid of hair in his hand as he climbed out of the trapdoor Pegasus had intended to drag Ryou down.

It had taken Heba and Atemu a while to find the tower since Heba's only memory of finding the structure was by rolling off a cliff. They found Zafiro at the base, and an open doorway at the base that led straight up. Heba had charged up in concern for his friend, leaving Atemu behind rather quickly.

Pegasus glared at the boy with golden hair. Who was he? And why was he getting in the way of his plans. An idea in his mind, Pegasus lunged for Ryou's chain again. Heba's hair flew through the air, but this time, Pegasus caught it. Eyes wide, Heba tried to pull his hair back, but it was yanked to bring him closer to Pegasus.

Grabbing the braids by the base of Heba's neck, Pegasus sliced cleanly through the gold strands and shoved Heba head first into a nearby bookcase, where he lay still. Since he had dropped the hair, Pegasus didn't notice the gold hair change to black, tipped in amethyst. He reached for Ryou's chain for the third time, and dragged him away from Bakura.

"Ryou really!" Pegasus shouted, having enough of Ryou's struggles. "Enough already! Stop fighting me!"

But Ryou did fight, as hard as he could until he was able to jerk himself out of Pegasus' grip, the gag coming loose from his mouth.

"No! I won't stop." Ryou cried out in defiance. "For every minute of the rest of my life I will fight! I will never stop trying to get away from you!"

Pegasus growled as he pulled on the chain again. Ryou yanked back, not finished. He was stronger now, stronger than he had ever been now that he knew the truth. He knew everything and understood clearly. Drawing a deep breath, refusing to take his brown eyes of Pegasus, he made a choice.

"But if you let me save Bakura, I will go with you." Ryou declared.

"No!" Bakura groaned in pain, wanting Ryou to be free from the man. "No, Ryou!"

Heba lay still as he came to, his head hurting too much to change positions. Pegasus was going to suffer for that, Atemu would make sure of it.

"I'll never run, I'll never try to escape." Ryou vowed. "Just let me heal him, and you and I will be together, forever, just like you want. Everything will be the way it was. I promise. Just like you want."

Heba tried to get up, but the pounding in his head kept him from moving. He knew that Ryou would keep his word. He never broke a promise, and Ryou knew what this meant. He would never be able to see Bakura again, but he would be alive. Living outside in a beautiful world filled with wonderful, kind people.

"Just let me heal him." Ryou pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper.

Pegasus narrowed his eyes, but agreed. He knew that Ryou never went back on a promise. So he undid the chains holding Ryou and shackled Bakura to a pillar.

"In case you get any ideas about following us." Pegasus sneered as he dropped the hand he chained onto the man's wounded stomach.

"Bakura!" Ryou cried as he ran over, touching his face.

Bakura coughed as he tried to sit up, but flinched in pain, sinking back down. Ryou pulled the man's hand away from the wound. The injury was deep, and there was a lot of blood. But Heba had saved Atemu from such a wound, so he probably could as well.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Ryou gasped as he started to gather his hair. "Everything is going to be okay though."

"No, Ryou." Bakura protested, trying to push the boy's hands away.

"I promise." Ryou panted as he pushed past the hands to place his hair on the damage. "You have to trust me."

"No." Bakura objected again.

"Come on." Ryou pleaded. "Just breathe."

"I can't let you do this." Bakura ground out through the pain.

"And I can't let you die." Ryou replied trying not to cry.

"But if you do this, then you, will die." Bakura winced as he tried not to double over.

"Shh, shh, shh..." Ryou soothed, giving a small, but weak, smile. "Hey. It's going to be all right.

Bakura smiled back faintly before wincing again. Ryou shut his eyes and opened his mouth to sing the incantation that would activate the magic in his hair.

"Ryou, wait..." Bakura grimaced in pain as he half-sat up.

Ryou watched as Bakura moved closer to him. He could smell the outside woods on the man as Bakura tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, and pressed their lips together. Ryou closed his eyes as he kissed back, not feeling Bakura grab his hair halfway down his back.

Bakura knew that he would rather die than let the lovely and spirited Ryou live the rest of his life imprisoned in some secret tower with Pegasus. Clutching a larger shard of the broken mirror, and using his last ounce of strength, Bakura cut Ryou's hair with a swift motion right above his hand. Breaking the kiss with a gasp, Bakura fell back, the shard clattering to the floor.

"Bakura." Ryou gasped as he touched the remaining hair on his head, the strands turning white as they lost their magic.

"No!" Pegasus shrieked.

Ryou held onto his silver hair, and watched it quickly turn white as it traveled down the 70 ft. length, depleted of any magic. Pegasus grabbed the silver hair, picking up Heba's now black hair as well. His eyes widened as he realized that the magic of the golden flower had been right in front of him, and he had destroyed it.

As the silver hair turned white, so did Pegasus' hand. He aged quickly when he touched the hair as it lost its magic.

"No, no, no, no!" Pegasus shrieked in terror as he watched his hand wrinkle. "What have you done? What have you done? "

Stumbling and staggering across the room, Pegasus stopped in front of the remains of the full-length mirror. All of him was a ghostly white color. His hair, his skin, and even his amber colored eyes had lost their pigmentation.

"No!" Pegasus cried as he pulled his cloak over his head, mourning the loss of his youth.

Stumbling around, and not seeing anything with his cloak covering his eyes, Pegasus failed to see Atemu climb out of the trapdoor. The prince took in the situation. Heba not moving next to a bookcase with his hair cut, Bakura chained and bleeding from the stomach, and Ryou just staring at Pegasus in shock. With Amane's help, the prince pulled the cut hair from Heba's and Ryou's heads taunt. Pegasus tripped backward over them, and out the window.

Ryou reached out his hands as if he wanted to keep the man from falling, but knew that he couldn't. Despite only wanting him for his magical hair, Pegasus was the only family he had ever known, and it hurt slightly to know that he would never see him again.

Pegasus screamed as he fell, his body rapidly fading. As his vision blurred, the sight of a young woman with blond hair and blue eyes appeared before him. His beloved wife Cecelia, whom he hadn't thought of in years. She smiled at him and held out her hand. Pegasus stared for a moment before smiling back, and accepted the offered hand. Closing his eyes, Pegasus knew no more as his soul flew away with his wife. His body and clothes faded into dust, the empty cloak hitting the ground as the base of the tower.

Pegasus was finally dead, gone forever. Rest in peace with the beloved one lost to you early in your marriage.

* * *

**MMMG:** End of chapter. How much trouble am I in?

**Atemu:** The fans are torn between rejoicing at Pegasus' death, or throwing sharp object at you for leaving them with another cliffhanger.

**MMMG:** I'll take my leave then. -shuts door to private room, which has Pegasus tied to the outside for the fans-

**Pegasus:** Where am I? What's happening?

**Yugi:** The fans are about to do all sort fo unspeakable things to you.

**Atemu:** -unties Pegasus and throws him to the mob- Have fun everyone!

**Pegasus:** NO! -screams like a girl as the torture begins-

**Yugi:** Please review! Favorite part, least favorite part, spelling/grammar mistakes, questions, etc. You know the drill!


	12. Chapter 12: Family

**MMMG:** And here is chapter 12. The last chapter of 'It takes Two to get Tangled'!

**Bakura:** What?!

**Ryou:** And so another wonderful story draws to a close.

**MMMG:** Hey, it's not done yet! You have a whole chapter to read first.

**Marik:** MMMG is right about that.

**Malik:** MMMG does not own Yugioh, Disney's 'Tangled', or Disney's 'Tangled Junior Novelization'. Enjoy!

* * *

_dragonwolf416: Yes, this is the last chapter._

_YumiStar: No, feeling a tad bit happy for Pegasus isn't a bad thing. _

_Wordsorcereress: Yikes, nails! You made me laugh. Yeah Yugi, go make out with your other half so we can take picture and most them on the internet!_

_Killer-Fangirl: Thanks you for spotting that, it has been corrected._

_Ranko twin: That's okay, I haven't reviewed any of your stories lately either. I feel so bad. Did you get my PM conserning the whole relationship stuff?_

_Animesaki: Looks like you get to kiss Mokuba again! I mentioned your favorite pairing? SCORE! _

* * *

Chapter 12: Family

* * *

Glaring at the window with satisfaction, Atemu turned and crossed the room. Kneeling down next to Heba, Atemu gently turned his husband onto his back, cradling him in his arms. Heba groaned as he brought a hand to his head, clutching it where Pegasus had forced contact with the bookcase and let his hand fall threw his cropped locks.

Blinking in shock, Atemu realized that Heba's severed hair was now black. In fact, it looked like his hair style, minus the lightning bolt streaks that ran up his hair, and Heba's was tipped amethyst colored, not crimson. But he still had golden colored bangs that framed his face.

Ryou panted as he turned from the window. Pegasus was… gone. A cough brought him back to reality and he pulled the head and chest of the not moving Bakura into his lap. He knew the man was dying, and there wasn't any magic in his hair, or Heba's, to save him.

"No, no, no, no, no, Bakura." Ryou tried to sound stern, but failed as the man coughed up some blood, wearily opening his eyes a crack. "Look at me, look at me. I'm right here. Don't go. Stay with me Bakura."

Ryou grabbed Bakura's hand and placed it one his mid-back length white hair. He hoped that by some sliver Bakura had missed a strand of silver hair, and that small sliver might save him. In desperation, he began to sing, choking as he tears began to fill his eyes.

_Flower gleam and glow_

_Let your p-powers shine_

_Make the clock reverse_

_Bring back what once was mine_

"Ryou." Bakura groaned as he lowered his hand to Ryou's face, making the one he loved look at him.

"What?" Ryou asked chokingly, tears brimming his eyes.

"You were my new dream." Bakura whispered with barely open eyes and the faintest of smiles on his lips.

"And you were mine." Ryou replied in a strangled voice.

Bakura shuddered as he tried to keep breathing, but he exhaled and fell still. As he head rolled off to the side and his entire form fell limp, Bakura didn't feel Ryou place his hand on the floor. Holding back tears, Ryou cradled Bakura's face in his hands.

Atemu and Heba watched sadly. Even though Heba's bangs still glowed with the magic of the golden flower and healed his injured head, it wouldn't be enough to heal a life threatening injury. Like the one Bakura had been dealt.

Ryou whimpered before singing brokenly. He was hoping, praying to whatever deity was listening, that there would be a miracle.

_Heal what has been hurt_

_Change the fate's design_

_Save what has been lost _

_Bring back what once was mine_

_What once was mine_

Ryou lowered his head so he was resting his forehead against Bakura's. Distraught, Ryou couldn't hold back his grief, and began to cry. He wept, cradling Bakura's limp body as a single tear fell from his eye and onto Bakura's cheek.

Heba turned his head into Atemu's shoulder and cried as well. Even though he hadn't liked Bakura that much, the man had a way of growing on you. Atemu rocked Heba as he cried, feeling like shedding a few tears himself, but remained strong for his loved one.

The tear on Bakura's face disappeared into his skin, a silver glow shining briefly, changing into a blossoming silver flower. The glow faded, but didn't disappear as it traveled down his face, neck, chest, and abdomen.

A silver glow caught Ryou's attention threw his closed eyelids. Opening his eyes, he was shocked to see a silver tendrils sprouting gracefully into the air from Bakura's wounded stomach. The tendrils winded high into the air, filling the entire room as Atemu shook Heba's shoulder to get him to watch.

A large flower made of sliver light grew from the wound before fading with the tendrils in the room, leaving only white light. Ryou reached to touch the light, but it faded as well. Not knowing what happened, and hoping it was a miracle, Ryou looked anxiously at Bakura's face.

The man stirred, and opened his eyes.

"Ryou?" Bakura asked, his vision slightly blurry, and heard several gasps.

"Bakura?" Ryou asked hopefully.

"Did I ever tell you I've got a thing for cute people who look like me?" Bakura grinned as he felt his strength returning.

"Bakura!" Ryou flung his arms around the man, crying in happiness.

Bakura accepted the embrace as he pushed them up into a sitting position. Pulling apart, the two smiled at each other as the sun broke through the dark clouds.

"Turn." Heba told Atemu as he turned his head to look at a cabinet, Amane copying him as she giggled and wrapped her wings around her.

"What?" Atemu asked in confusion.

"Just do it." Heba rolled his eyes as he gripped Atemu under the chin and forced him to look at the wall.

And not a moment too soon. Bakura leaned forward and kissed Ryou. Ryou moaned in happiness, and allowed the ex-thief's tongue into his mouth, shivering as it mapped out ever little nook and cranny. Bakura savored the taste of strawberries and chocolate that was Ryou, tasting just like the way he smelled. When the two finally separated for a moment, they smiled at each other before kissing again.

Pulling away after a few minutes, Bakura noted at Heba and Atemu had given them a few moments of privacy by looking elsewhere. For that, he was grateful, but you would never hear him admit it out loud.

"You can look now." Bakura huffed with an eye roll.

"What?" Atemu asked as he and Heba turned back and stood up. "Did you really want us to look at you when you shared a personal moment with the one you love?"

"Not really." Bakura grumbled.

"Can we go now?" Heba asked. "I think we scared our friends pretty badly when we took off out of the castle the way we did."

"What friends?" Ryou asked.

"Several of the court from Egypt is here for diplomatic reasons." Atemu explained. "But I loved the look on Seth and Aknadin's faces once they realized what we were doing."

"Something tells me you like torturing those two every chance you get." Bakura commented as Heba started down the ladder connected to the trapdoor

"Oh, he teases his cousin and uncle every opportunity possible." Heba replied. "Those two are so tense and need to loosen up."

"Hmmm." Bakura hummed as he recalled some harmless, but extremely funny pranks he had played on unsuspecting people at the start of his thieving days.

"I sense a collaboration coming on." Atemu sighed with a half-smile.

"Is that really so bad?" Heba asked. "They're used to what Joey and I have come up with over the years."

"True." Atemu admitted as they exited the base of the tower.

Zafiro whinnied in happiness when his friends exited. He had gotten worried when a screaming cloak fell out of the tower window and hit the ground to reveal nothing. The other horses that Atemu and Heba had ridden were grazing nearby.

"Hey Bakura, I'm just wondering, what was it like being dead?" Atemu asked.

"Atemu!" Heba hissed in anger.

"I was wondering when that was going to get brought up." Bakura said, making Heba stop glaring. "It was an out of body experience."

_Flashback_

_Bakura suddenly saw him looking down on his body cradled in Ryou's arms. On either side of him were his parents and younger sister, who embraced him tightly. _

"_We're so proud of you." his mother whispered. "Even though you lost your way, you still did what was right in the end."_

"_And now you have a choice." his father continued. _

"_A choice?" Bakura asked. "What choice? I'm dead aren't I?"_

"_Yeah, but you still have a choice to make." Amane, his younger sister replied as she pointed down to him and Ryou. "The first tear Ryou sheds holds the same magic his hair did. From the way his face is currently positioned, it will fall onto your skin."_

"_The magic will activate _only _if you decide that you want to live." his mother explained. "If not, it's just a tear."_

_Bakura took a deep breath. Did he really want to leave his family again? He missed them so much after they had been slaughtered like cattle. But as he looked down at Ryou, he realized that he could wait until he was old before he permanently died and stayed with his family. He didn't care if he got killed if he went back to the kingdom, he would create and relish every moment they had together._

_Ryou mattered more, and was worth living for._

_End Flashback_

"My soul followed the magic back through my wound, and I woke up in Ryou's arms." Bakura finished, helping Ryou mount Zafiro.

"Wow." Heba blinked.

"Indeed." Ryou agreed.

"Wait, did you say 'Amane'?" Heba asked as one detail stuck out. "As in, the name of your sister is the same as the Change of Heart on Ryou's shoulder right now?"

Everyone looked at the mentioned female, who blushed. Bakura looked at her closely, and got a fist in the nose for his curiosity.

"That's her." Bakura confirmed with a grumbled as he rubbed his nose. "Part of her soul must have merged with a wild Change of Heart so she could keep an eye me."

"This day just keeps getting weirder." Atemu sighed as he helped Heba onto a horse before mounting his own.

"Um… Heba?" Ryou turned to the boy Bakura was mounted behind him. "You said that you don't know who your parents are, right?"

"Yeah." Heba sighed. "I've pretty much given up on finding them. I'm happy with the life I have."

"I think I may know who they are." Ryou stated, earning three wide eyed looks.

* * *

By the time the group arrived back at the kingdom, a royal escort was waiting for them. The folk from the Snuggly Duckling hadn't said a word on why they helped the criminal, except that the thief would return with a young man at his side. Dismounting their mounts, the group followed the guards, who kept glancing back at Ryou and Heba before whispering to each other.

"Atemu!" Seth roared the instant his cousin entered the palace.

"Hello Seth." Atemu greeted dryly.

"What were you thinking, taking off like that?" Seth spat in anger. "And for a thief?!"

"Has my letter been sent to my father yet?" Atemu asked, not caring about Seth's fury.

"Not yet." Mahad replied, the scroll in his hand. "I was just about to send it."

"Good." Atemu replied and took the scroll back. "I have some _major_ editing to do."

"Where's Heba?" Joey asked as he looked around, not seeing his friend.

"I'm right here." Heba sighed as he raised a hand.

"What happened to your hair?" Mana gasped at the shorn locks.

"I got a haircut." Heba replied with a shrug.

"Prince Atemu?" Captain Raphael enquired from the side of the room. "It has been requested that you, your husband, the thief, and you final friend come with me to the balcony."

Atemu nodded, and the group was escorted to a balcony right off of the throne room, despite Seth's and Aknadin's protesting. Once alone, Heba leaned into Atemu's arms, and Ryou leaned into Bakura's as they looked over the waters surrounding the kingdom.

"Do you think they figured it out?" Ryou asked no one in particular.

"If they are going off looks alone, you two look like the king and queen, having ones eye color and the others hair color." Atemu replied.

"Plus, you both have the same birthday." Bakura added. "If that doesn't confirm things, I don't know what does."

The doors opened behind them, and the quartet turned to see a man and a woman in the doorway. The man had Ryou's white hair and Heba's purple eyes, and the woman had Heba's hair and Ryou's eyes. They were the king and queen.

Heba and Ryou stepped forward a few paced, away from Atemu and Bakura, staring. The queen ventured forward as she looked at Heba's black hair tipped with amethyst and Ryou's chocolate brown eyes. Walking down the few step to the balcony, she approached with wide eyes before stopping in front of them.

Touching their faces, a smiled broke through on her face. In her heart, she knew these two young men in front of here were her children. Ryou and Heba smiled back, each letting out a breath they weren't even aware they were holding. Unable to hold herself back, the queen quickly drew the two into her arms, holding them tight as felt years of heartache melt away in that one instant.

"My babies." the queen whispered as tears started to run down her cheeks. "Oh, my Ryou, my Yugi."

Ryou cried into his mother's shoulder as Yugi peaked over to see his father. The man smiled, and years seemed to melt off of his face as his eyes brightened. Circling around to the other side of the boys, he embraced his entire family. The group sank to their knees as the love they felt overwhelmed them and filled their hearts.

They knew. The king, the queen, Ryou, and Yugi. They had come home, at long last.

When they finally pulled apart, wiping away the other's tears and smiling, they stood and looked to Atemu and Bakura. Atemu was entirely relaxed with the situation, while Bakura was a tad bit nervous since he had stolen the crowns.

"So your name is Yugi, not Heba." Atemu declared as he walked over.

"That's what it looks like." Yugi smiled as he wiped away another tear. "But I like it."

"Me too." Atemu agreed as he gently pulled his husband away from his newly found family, and kissed him. "My little Yugi."

"Get a room." Bakura huffed indignantly.

"Why?" Atemu smirked. "Jealous?"

"In your dreams!" Bakura snapped back, a faint tint of red on his face.

"Bakura, you _don't _want to know what my husband dreams about." Yugi giggled. "Trust me, because I know that most of them involve me, in one way or another."

"Oi vey." Bakura groaned. "There is such a thing as too much information."

"Oh, so you just like _telling others_ too much information, not _hearing _too much info." Atemu teased.

"Will you quit the teasing?" Ryou asked, just a tad bit annoyed as he moved to give Bakura a one armed hug, which was returned.

"He will, right love?" Yugi replied, giving Atemu a glare that vowed suffering via the couch if he didn't.

The king and queen were a tad bit confused by that point, but understood some details. Like their firstborn, Ryou, seemed to be in love with the thief who had stolen their crowns. And their second born, Yugi, was the one married to the Egyptian prince, and called Heba. So after listening to their stories, the royals decided that they could live with that. As long as the thief cleaned up his act and Yugi promised to visit as often as he could manage.

Bakura promised the royal couple he would stop thieving and turn everything around, and Yugi heartily agreed to visiting as often as he could. With smiles all around, the moved to go back inside. Messages had to be sent out, for the lost princes' had returned.

"Uh, one more thing." Yugi stopped walking and shifted nervously.

"Was is it Yugi?" Atemu asked. "I thought we covered everything."

"We did." Yugi nodded. "This isn't something I've told anyone, but the palace healers know about this since they looked me and Atemu over yesterday. I asked them to not tell."

"Are you okay?" Ryou asked in worry.

"Yeah." Yugi smiled as he touched a hand to his stomach. "Just going to be getting up a lot in the middle of the night in about seven months."

It was so silent not even the crickets were chirping. Naturally, everyone was shocked. Atemu gaped like a fish before deciding he wanted to see the detail of floor tile a little bit closer.

"Atemu!" Yugi huffed as he shook the shoulders of his passed out husband. "Get up!"

Bakura burst out laughing, doubled over at the sight of the crown prince of Egypt fainted on the floor. Ryou was trying to hold back his giggles and tell Bakura off. The queen laughed behind her hand as she elbowed her husband with a knowing look. The man rolled his eyes, recalling that he also had fainted when told his wife was expecting a baby, er, babies.

Atemu groaned as he came back to his senses. Blinking, he briefly wondered why Bakura was laughing, but figured it had to do something with his sudden mid-day nap, and pushed himself into a sitting position.

"Enjoy your little nap on the floor, my daddy-to-be?" Yugi asked as Atemu turned his attention back to him, questions visible on his face.

"You're pregnant?" Atemu asked, his eyes glued to Yugi's.

"I'm two months along." Yugi confirmed before being pulled into a hug and received passionate kiss. "Well, you're happy."

"Of course I am." Atemu grinned as he pulled them to his feet.

"But I am confused about one thing." Ryou interjected. "How can you be two months pregnant when you've been a Kuriboh for the past two year?"

"I had actually just conceived before the spell cast by Vivian happened." Yugi explained. "Since I was a Kuriboh, my body wasn't quite sure what had happened. So the baby developed very slowly, around one month per year. Now that I'm back to normal, development should speed up to the normal time frame."

"I'm going to be an uncle!" Ryou squealed as he hugged his brother, who laughed and hugged back.

"Just as long as I'm not put on nappy duty." Bakura shuddered as he recalled changing his sister's.

Amane huffed, her demon side flaring up. Flying over, she punched Bakura as hard as she could in his shoulder, understanding what he was thinking about. Bakura rubbed his shoulder as he glared at the spirit of his little sister, but the look softened as he stretched out an arm, and gave her a hug.

The group of Egyptians and many of the palace servants and guards were hanging in or around the throne room. They felt confused as to why the king and queen needed to talk to the prince of Egypt, his husband, a thief, and a barefooted boy who looked like said thief. The group entered the throne room, grinning.

"Spread the word." the king proclaimed with a grin no one had seen in years. "Our sons' have returned!"

* * *

It didn't take long for the word to spread. And well, you can imagine what happened next. The kingdom rejoiced with a joyous celebration ensuing, for their lost princes' had returned. The celebration lasted for an entire week, and if many people were honest, they did not remember most of it. But they did remember launching thousands of lanterns into the sky, this time with the princes' that had been lost and now found. There was also lot of dancing, feasting, and visitors, more dancing feasting, and visitors, and even more dancing, feasting, and visitors.

Bakura, and the thugs from the tavern, were pardoned for their crimes and given a second chance. Except for Pandora and Arkana. Those two were publicly executed; their bodies tossed into the thief's graveyard, where all condemned criminals were buried.

Pharaoh Aknankanon and the rest of his court arrived via a magical portal on the second day of celebrating. All of them were happy to see that Yugi/Heba safe and sound, and were even more excited that a baby was on the way. Isis, one of the High Priests, immediately began fussing over the young man, reassuring the queen that she would make sure that her son was well taken care of during his pregnancy. Much to Yugi's embarrassment.

And many other dreams started coming true all over the place. Mako, when he wasn't off fishing, became the official Royal Pianist. He wrote many songs in his spare time and became very famous, if you can believe it.

Marik, well, he found true love with one of the servants that came with the pharaoh from Egypt. Someone who looked like him, named Malik. When Bakura, Ryou, Atemu, and Heba first saw him, they all wondered where all of the look-like-twins-but-we're-not-related look alikes kept coming from.

Rex and Weevil partnered up and shared a florist/interior design shop in the kingdom, becoming very well known on the small island. Strings continued happily miming; at least, it is assumed he is happy since he has never told anyone otherwise. Dartz continued to run the Snuggly Duckling tavern, but added a bakery to the pub. Lummis and Umbra opened their own Fabric store en route to the Snuggly Duckling, and Panic performed puppet shows there, and in town on Thursday evenings. And Ushio made a special room for his ceramic unicorn collection.

Captain Raphael treated his guards with a new respect, especially to their mounts. And thanks to Zafiro, a new weapon was introduced into the castle armory: the Frying Pan. Thanks to the addition, crime in the kingdom disappeared almost overnight. As did most of the apples, due to guards running late. All they had to do was offer an apple to the _Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus_, and all would be forgiven.

Amane, the wonderful Change of Heart, kept a close eye on Ryou and Bakura, and Yugi and Atemu whenever they visited. After several attempted and failed assassination attempts on Ryou and Yugi, some thanks to Bakura, some to Amane, and some to both of them, people quickly learned _not_ to get on the bad side of the little half-angel half-demon. She was a danger when protecting one that she cared about.

But what truly mattered, and at long last, Ryou and Yugi were finally home. Both finally had a real family, a real mother and father, who loved them both dearly. Both Atemu and Bakura agreed that they were a Prince worth waiting for. Beloved by all, they led their kingdoms with all the grace and wisdom that their parents did before them.

Yugi, the second born prince, went back to Egypt with Atemu, since he was already married and expecting a child. But he promised to visit as often as possible. Three months later they did come back, because they definitely weren't going to miss Ryou and Bakura's wedding.

Yep, Bakura, who stopped thieving and went by his birth name again, couldn't wait and proposed on the last day of the celebration. Ryou squealed so loud that many people thought he had been hurt, but that thought was quickly derailed at the sight of him and Bakura kissing and the ring on his left ring finger.

The wedding went fairly smoothly. Yugi, who was five month pregnant and definitely showing, was Ryou's 'Maid of Honor', while Atemu was Bakura's best man. Amane was the flower girl and Zafiro was the ring bearer. Sorry to say, the rings rolled out of the room when Zafiro sneezed at some of the flower petals.

Allergies.

Zafiro and Amane got them back in time for the exchanging of the vows, covered in pie fillings, feathers, and many other little tidbits found around the kingdom. Both were given a bath before the wedding reception was held, and they did not lose the cake.

Four months later, Yugi gave birth to a baby girl. Both Yugi and Atemu agreed that the perfect name for her was Heba.

Ryou also became pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy around a year after his wedding. They gave him the name Saraqa*, a reminder of the life that Bakura had turned from and would never go back to again. Plus, his name was already in a bedtime story. What kid seriously doesn't like that?

But each year on their birthday, Yugi and Ryou would go back to the tower that Ryou had been raised in and plant a couple of lilies, one yellow and one white. As time went by, their kids asked why they planted the flowers there year after year.

And so they told them the story of what happened so many years ago when their hair was 70 ft. long. After all... it really does take two to get tangled.

* * *

*Saraqa - an Arabic translation of the word thief

* * *

**MMMG:** And it is done! Now I can focus on my other stories.

**Yugi:** Happy ending. :)

**Atemu:** Please review and let us know what you thought.


End file.
